The Return of a Legend
by Kyla Mizuki
Summary: sequel to ANewDimension,ANewAdventure. Dimensional rips are being torn in the stream of time and space, and Danielle feels them... She has to go to the YYH dimension to help save the day, but what's this? Her friend is coming along to help?HieiOCKuramaOC
1. An Echo in Time

Kyla: Hi, everyone! What's up? Here's the sequel!  
Hiei: -groans- Oh no... Not this...  
Kyla: -smirks-  
Kura: -mushroom sigh- So, you're on your Spring Break?  
Kyla: Yepp! I'm so glad!  
Hiei: Hn, just get ON with it...  
Kyla: -sticks tongue out- Fine then Mr. Shrimpy(Hiei twitches at the nickname)... Here's chapter one! Enjoy!  
Kura: Kyla does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, but the bad guy(Kyla-- It's a girl... so, bad girl.), Kyla came up with this evil demon with the help of her crazy friend from school named Alicia. Please, enjoy, and don't forget toreview.

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_**The Return of a Legend  
**:Chapter One:  
"**An Echo in Time"**_  
by  
Kyla

-Danielle's POV-

"_Hiei..."_

That name always comes back to my mind... It echoes like a bell in my ears, his voice resounding continuously through time.

"_I love you..."_

Those words repeat over and over in my head, like a gentle thumping ache, pounding against my skull. He said those three words one time, then he disappeared, leaving behind only a memory.

"_I miss you..."_

Those are the words that always fly from my lips as a single tear drops down my cheek, falling past the small smile that's spread over my mouth.

Nowadays, I can't blink, can't close my eyes, can't breath, without thinking about him. He's all I dream about, all I see when I shut my eyes. With my eyelids pulled down shut, I see him standing there, a scowl plastered on his face. He's glaring at me with those deep, crimson eyes, his spiked black hair with a white starburst in the center blowing gently in the breeze.

My friends and family tell me to just give up; move on and forget about Hiei, they say, but there's no way I can just forget him... It's impossible. That's like asking me not to breath!

Oh, do you not realize who I am yet? It's me, Danielle, the one that Kiten's soul merged with; the one that loves Hiei, who's in a different dimension. It was at my house that the YuYu guys fell out of my TV.

It's been nearly 9 months since I last saw Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei. I miss them all so much... I'm now starting my Senior year in high school at the age of 17, and I've made a new friend, my very best friend, Amanda. She and I met when she first transferred to my school, and we've been really close friends since the first day we met a whole month and a half ago. I still haven't told her that I'm actually a dimensional kitsune or about my adventures with the guys though.

Hiei's image flashes across my mind's eye again, and the sadness returns. Why does my mind always wander back to Hiei no matter what? It still makes me blush, a small smile slipping onto my face, when I think about that last minute before the portal to the Yu Yu Hakusho dimension closed... What Hiei had said made me feel so happy, little flutters still make me feel so much emotion! He said he loved me!

Even though I knew at the time that I might never see him again, I just couldn't make myself forget about him and move on... So, I've remained single... All my friends say I'm crazy... Maybe they're right, but... I couldn't help it...

-Hiei's POV-

"_Danielle..."_

That name I always remember... It's her name... Her voice stretches out to me through time. I hear her laugh, and if I ever close my eyes, I see her standing there smiling, long brown hair pulled into a ponytail, blue-green eyes staring brightly at me. It's like she's right next to me, but she isn't... She's in a completely other dimension...

"_I love you..."_

I told her those exact words nearly 9 months ago, when I had to leave. It was so fast, speeding by, and suddenly, she was gone; way too suddenly, it was over, and the portal was closed. I was back in my own dimension, but somehow, it didn't feel right... without her.

"_I miss you..."_

The memories remain as life goes on. With every tear I cry, my soul hurts worse, my heart further breaking. Why did I have to leave?

I am Hiei, and she is Danielle. I love her deeply, more than I can say in mere words, but not getting to see her cuts me deeper than a dagger every day.

Secluded from the others these days, I only show up in the most dire of situations, when Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara desperately need my help, and hardly a food touches my lips. It's hard to go on living without the one you love there by your side...

Slowly, the memories replay through my mind, over and over again. With every passing day, the hurt grows. Will I ever see her again? I'm slowly loosing hope... with each second, minute, hour, day, week, and month...

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Kyla: So, whatchoo' think? Alicia is my proofreader at my school, and she's helped me out on this a lot, but she said it was sad when she read it.  
Hiei: I do NOT cry! You made it sound like that's all I ever did!  
Kyla: I did not!  
Hiei: Did to!  
Kyla: Did NOT!  
Hiei: Did TO!  
Hiei and Kyla: KURAMA!  
Kura: -sweatdrops- Uh, well, see you next chapter, I suppose.  
Kyla: Yeah! Oh, and if any of you haven't seen Howl's Moving Castle yet, it is DEFINITELY a must see movie! Go watch it!  
Kyla and Kura: Bye!  
Hiei: Hn. 


	2. Day to Day

Kyla: Hey everyone! Chapter two is Here! Yay!  
Hiei: Ugh... Not you again... You always make me sound sappy... -growls-  
Kura: -sighs- Are you two going to start arguing again?  
Hiei and Kyla: No.  
Hiei: You can't talk at the same time as me like that!  
Kyla: Oh yes, I can!  
Hiei: Oh, no you can't!  
Kyla: Can!  
Hiei: Can't!  
Kura: -mushroom sigh- Well, here is chapter two... Enjoy! Oh, and please note that the Amanda in this chapter is NOT the Amanda from _A New Dimension, A New Adventure_... She is an actual friend Kyla has at school. Please remember to review as well... And remember that Kyla does not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any other anime...

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_**

_**The Return of a Legend  
**:Chapter Two:  
"Day to Day"  
_by  
**_Kyla_**

Danielle sat in her desk in 4th period English class, her chin propped on her left hand. There was a faraway look in her blue-green eyes as she stared unseeingly out the window she sat next to, and a small, sad smile pulled the corners of her mouth up slightly.

"Hey Danielle!" a girl with shoulder-length brown hair, lighter in colour than Danielle's, exclaimed, waving a hand in front of her friend's face. "Yoo-hoo!" she said in a loud sing-song voice to get the girl's attention.

"Huh?" Danielle blinked, eyes suddenly refocusing and turning to the girl in front of her. "Oh. Sorry, Amanda," the now dimensional kitsune apologized, "spaced out again, huh?" she added with a shameful smile. She'd been doing that a lot lately...

"Yeah... You kind of did," Amanda laughed with a small grin, "What's up with you? You always act like this towards the end of every month since I met you earlier this year... Did you always space out like that before I transferred here?" she questioned.

"No, I didn't always zone out, but... something happened nine months ago, and... I guess I'm still not over it yet..." Danielle answered uncomfortably, feeling very self consious now that she was paying attention. They were getting a free day that day in English because the teacher was really nice, I suppose. They always got a Friday off sometime or another, in English anyways.

"Nine months ago...?" Amanda echoed what her friend said, "That was, what, the last school year? Uh, about, let's see.." she tried to calculate when whatever happened had happened, "around the end of December? Before Christmas and all?" Danielle nodded but remained silent as Amanda asked what had happened, but Danielle told her that it was okay and to drop the subject. "Oh, alright..." Amanda grumbled, "But I'm still coming over this weekend, right?" she asked.

"Yepp!" Danielle answered with a bright smile. She may have seemed happy to anyone who looked at her, but it was only an act. Deep down, she was upset. Towards the end of every month, she got even more upset. Why? Because it was the last week of November when Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei left, returning to their own dimension.

_I know they had to go back, that they couldn't stay, but..._ Her eyes saddened, and a small pang made itself known; she missed them more than anything else, but she couldn't stop those melancholy thoughts from running through her mind.

"Danielle!" Amanda's voice cut Danielle out of her sorrowful train of thought, and she waved a hand in front of the kitsune's face.

"Huh?" Danielle squaked in surprise, blinking a few times to refocus her eyes on the brunette girl in front of her. "Oh," she gave a nervous smile, "I zoned out again, didn't I?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Amanda heaved a sigh and nodded, "Mhm, you did..." She shook her head in exasperation; she just had no clue what was wrong with her friend. She really wanted to know, so maybe she could help Danielle, but if the girl wouldn't tell her, she couldn't do anything.

"Sorry," Danielle apologized, shifting around uncomfortably, a frown weighing her lips down. She made herself smile, and when Amanda said it was alright, the two launched off and planned what they would do when Amanda went over to Danielle's house that weekend. Danielle made herself be happy, at least in front of Amanda and everyone else, but when she lay in bed awake late into the night, she couldn't stop the reminiscing sighs or the occassional crying fits. She tried not to think about it too much, but that's hard...

Meanwhile, Hiei was in his own dimension, perched high in a tree in the park, eyes glazed over sadly. He sighed, "I miss her... so much..." Every day since he was forced to leave, he just sat there in a tree, away from others, constantly thinking about her, Danielle. He hardly ate and barely slept, and the lack of food and rest was taking a toll on his already small body. His eyes weren't as bright and scathing anymore; they were a dull red, and large black circles traced under his tired eyes. His skin was becoming paler, seeming to tighten over his bones more each day.

Kurama was the only one to even get Hiei to eat what little he DID eat. Now, Kurama missed Danielle, too; she was like a sister to him, but he didn't starve himself, and he may sleep restlessy some nights, but he wasn't taking this nearly as bad as Hiei.

Yusuke and Kuwabara acted pretty much like their normal, usual selves, but to those who knew them well, the two teen punks really were different. They still argued frequently, but they seemed to try and avoid fighting most of the time, though there was still a small punch here or a not-too-soft kick there. It seemed that they agreed to disagree more often than not and left it at that.

Hiei hardly ever spoke to anyone, even Kurama, who hated how this was affecting Hiei. The fox had thought he'd been doing the right thing by forcing Hiei to come back to his dimension, but sometimes, he wondered what it would have been like if Hiei had stayed in Danielle's dimension with her...

All Hiei's friends were worried about him, not just Kurama. Most of the others only saw Hiei once and awhile on a mission, but since returning to their home dimension, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, and Koenma had only seen Hiei about three times. Kurama was the only one who could ever find the fire demon and coax him into eating what he needed.

Hiei was sinking further and further into depression, and Danielle was the only one who could pull him out of it, but she was in a whole other dimension... How would that work? And Danielle just couldn't up and leave her dimension for long, especially not for good, could she?

**(( To Be Continued... ))

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**

Kyla: Can!  
Hiei: Not!  
Kyla: Can!  
Hiei: N-!  
Kura: Silencio!  
Kyla: Hey! That's Spanish! Awesome!  
Hiei: -glares at Kura- Hn.  
Kura: -sighs- Alright, well, that was chapter two... Hope you enjoyed it.  
Kyla: Hey! Don't leave yet! -readers stop and look at Kyla curiously- I got an idea for another story... I could write a different sequel where Hiei stays in Danielle's dimension, but I don't know. What do you guys think? I'd probably have Kura stay in Danielle's dimension, too.  
Hiei: That's a stupid idea.  
Kura: Sounds good, Kyla.  
Kyla: Thanks! Well, hope to get some reviews!  
Kyla and Kura: Ja ne!  
Hiei: Hn. -glares at readers- 


	3. Dimensional Disturbances

Kyla: Hey, everyone! What is up! Well.. Kat's been annoying me to hurry up and get this chapter out... She even threatened me! -mock gasp- Can you believe it! Lol, just kidding, Kat! Anyways... The Yu Yu guys are on vacation so... they're bye bye for a few chapters... lol, okay! On with the chapter!

The Return of a Legend  
:Chapter Three:  
"Dimensional Disturbances"  
by  
Kyla

"Not again..." Danielle groaned one afternoon on her way home from school. Her younger brother had band practice so it was just her. She sensed a dimensional portal closeby, so she had to pull over, thankfully she was on a dirt road where not that many people drove down, and pick her way through the nearby woods to where a portal to a different dimension was.

Luckily, no creature had yet to come through the portal, so she could just quickly shut the portal and be on her merry way home. Shutting her eyes in concentration, she focused her Energy. The portal began to shrink, eventually disappearing completely.

Danielle gave a heavy sigh and made her way back to the car, which she revved up and finally made her way home. Having to close all those tears in the dimensional stream was getting very annoying, and with each new rip, she became weaker, thus she had to close as many as possible so she didn't fall into a coma or anything, but then she was still weak from having to use more Energy to close the portals.

"Man... I can just feel the holes being ripped in the dimensional stream," she mumbled as she felt a sharp stab of pain in her side. "Ow... Who is doing this?" she asked herself with a small grimmace, and the pain faded after a moment. She muttered to herself all the way through parking her car in the driveway and all the way until she was in her room, where she plopped down on the bed.

"How'm I going to close all these rips?" Danielle asked herself quietly, a frown stretching over her lips. "Especially with Amanda coming over tomorrow night," she added with a furrowed brow. She was getting way too stressed... What with not only keeping the number of portals under control but also having to hide her demonic abilities from her family and friends, not to mention keeping her grades up in school... It was a wonder she even had what little of a social life she DID have...

She wasn't the only one who was curious about the odd dimensional disturbances... Koenma sat at his desk in Spirit World, pondering why all these reports of new dimensional portals were flooding in.

"I sense some evil spirit is the cause of all this," the prince muttered with a thoughtful frown. "Perhaps Danielle could give us a hand... and her being in this dimension, she could help the others, especially Hiei... If that demon doesn't start eating soon and getting more rest, he's surely to die... and I don't want to have to deal with him this soon!" he wailed, but before anything could be done, he needed to have more information on the dimensional tears, and he needed to have at least some idea of what was causing these holes in the stream. He ordered botan to go and get more information on as many different dimensions as she could find. The blue-haired grim reaper nodded and left the room.

"Something's wrong," Kurama stated, announcing his prescence to the prince, who jumped in surprise. The yoko was always doing that, popping up out of nowhere.

"Way to state the obvious," Koenma grumbled, mad at the redhead for startling him like that. "I think we should enlist Danielle's help... Surely her Energy has recovered enough to travel to this dimension, right?" the toddler asked unsurely.

"I'm not sure... She might have enough, but... surely, she has noticed the disturbances as well, and she's more than likely been trying to close the portals," Kurama responded, not letting it show on the outside that he was excited at the thought of getting to see Danielle again.

"Once I get more information about dimensional travel and such, I'll probably try contacting her," Koenma sighed as more reports flooded in about new portals leading to different dimensions.

Kyla: Well, whatchoo think? How about dropping me a review and letting me know? I'ma try and get chapter 4 up tomorrow, but... if not, I'm really sorry! Don't kill me! Lol. Gotta go for now... ttyl!


	4. Missing Hiei

Kyla: Okay, working on chapter 3 today! Lol. Let's see... yay! I'm getting reviews! I'm so happy! Well, I suppose, I'd better get started on it! I want to post this chapter TODAY, so... here we go!

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The Return of a Legend  
:Chapter Four:  
"Missing Hiei"  
by  
Kyla

"Ouch," Danielle flinched as she felt another hole being ripped in the dimensional stream. She was getting weaker with every new tear in the dimensions, and she could only close so many of them.

"What's the matter?" Amanda asked when she she her friend wince. She had noticed Danielle hadn't been looking so good: she didn't eat as much, and she was paler than usual, and she always seemed distracted nowadays.

"Hm? Oh, nothing. I'm fine!" Danielle answered absently with a fake smile, not even really realizing what was going on around her. They were sitting in English class and had just finished up their assignment for the day, so they were just chatting and stuff until the bell rang.

Amanda gave her a look that told the dimensional kitsune that she knew something was indeed wrong. "Right," Amanda drawled out the word to show she clearly didn't believe her friend. "Well, anyway... I'm so excited!" she exclaimed and clapped her hands together real fast as a sign that she was excited, "When I come over, what should we do? We could ask your parents if we can go skating or something," she babbled. You see, she was going over to Danielle's to spend the night that weekend, so they were planning ahead so neither of them got in trouble like the last two times...

"Sorry, but my parents said that we had to stay home, so I guess we'll just have to stick to music, TV, and eating," Danielle said, "but it'll still be fun." She just wanted to go home and sleep for a while, but she couldn't do that... She had homework, chores, not to mention closing some of those portals.

"Aw, well, that'll be fine. We can listen to my man Tim McGraw!" she giggled and danced around in her seat. Danielle just shook her head and laughed at her friend. That afternoon, the duo arrived at Danielle's house, where they went inside and straight to Danielle's room. They turned the TV on to CMT to listen, sing, and dance to country music.

Then, they got into a pillow fight, hitting one another with fluffy pillows off of Danielle's bed. "Ah! Okay, okay... I give!" Danielle shrieked and laughed, falling onto her bed and landed on her back trying to catch her breath with a wide smile on her face.

Amanda, laughing as well, plopped down on the floor and tossed her pillow away to wipe away tears of laughter. "I win!" she exclaimed with a big grin. The bed was a mess... They hadn't stopped with just pillows... It had started out when Danielle threw a blanket over Amanda's head, and the two began flailing the bedsheets at one another, then they decided it would be safer to use pillows.

"Yeah, you did," Danielle panted, still chuckling. Her eyes absenlty swept over a picture frame that was hung on the wall beside her bed. Even though, from her point of view, it looked upside down, she knew exactly what it was... It was a picture she had drawn about two weeks after the Yu Yu guys left her dimension. It was a picture of Hiei, exactly what he looked like when he said, "I love you."

Danielle heaved a sigh and sat up, feeling sad again. She really did miss them... so much. She looked up just in time to see Amanda's knowing face. "Something's wrong. I know it. Do you.. want to talk about it?" Amanda asked and sat beside her friend on the bed, but Danielle remained silent. "It helps to talk about these things... That's what best friends do! They tell each other if something's bothering them! That way they don't have to deal with it on their own!" Amanda said wisely.

Danielle sighed, "It's nothing..."  
"Boy problems?" Amanda guessed softly after a moment's silence. The sigh from her friend told her yes. "Want to talk about it?" she insisted on knowing.

"Nothing to talk about really... I just don't think I'll ever see him again," Danielle muttered, sighing once again. For all she knew, Hiei could've already forgotten her and moved on.

"Why?"  
"He... had to go away, but... he can't come back—at least, not any time soon... I don't get to talk to him, but before he left... he told me that... that he loved me," Danielle explained with a faraway and dreamy look in her eyes.

"Aw! That is so sweet!" Amanda squealed and hugged Danielle then clapped her hands excitedly. "I'm sure you'll see him again! Definitely!" she added, sounding very sure of herself.

Danielle let a small smiled slip onto her face. She felt better actually, now that she had gotten it off her chest. "Yeah, and-- " she began to speak but was suddenly cut off when something happened...

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Kyla: Ooh! What's going to happen? Muwahahaha! Only I know! Well, me and Alicia know.. so, nyah! Review and I'll try to update again sometime soon!


	5. Through the Dimensions

Kyla: Okay, real quick now.. Here's chapter five! Hope you like it... It will probably be a few more chapters before Hiei and Danielle get to meet up again. I just happened to have time to type this chapter up in my computer class, so... I feel really bad about not getting to update this past weekend... I'll try to make up for it! Don't forget to review! Somehow I don't think this story's going so good.. I might need to take a break and come back after a rest... what do you guys think? Well, onto the chapter!

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The Return of a Legend  
:Chapter Five:  
Through the Dimensions  
by  
Kyla

Danielle and Amanda had been just sitting there talking when the kitsune was cut off suddenly... the TV had turned itself on, and someone spoke, "Yo, Kiten, er... Danielle, uh... Oh, you know what I mean!" It was Koenma, who's face was reddening from frustration and confusion.

"What the heck!" Amanda exclaimed, suddenly on her feet, eyes wide with surprise, and pointed at the screen that was showing a toddler with Jr. tattooed on his forehead and a pacifier in his mouth.

"Koenma!" Danielle hissed and jumped to her feet with a death glare planted on her face directed towards the Prince of Spirit World. She quickly slapped a hand over Amanda's mouth to keep the other girl quiet so her parents wouldn't run in here asking what was wrong and make everything even more worse.

"Oops, uh... eheheh... sorry. Didn't know you had... company," Koenma apologized as a sweatdrop rolled down his head. And he had thought Hiei's glares were scary...

Danielle let out an aggrivated sigh and turned to Amanda, "Sorry butI need to talk to this guy... Can you hold your questions until afterwards?" she asked, and when Amanda nodded, the kitsune removed her hand from her friend's mouth. "Well?" she turned back to the television, "What do you want, Koenma?" she snapped. He had to be looking for her help or else he wouldn't be bothering her like this.

"Are you aware of the dimensional rips that have been appearing for the last week?" Koenma asked suddenly very serious and bussiness-like. Ogres ran in and out of his office with more paperwork, more information on new rips in the dimensional stream.

"Yeah, I feel every rip, like something inside of me is being stabbed... I've been trying to close as many as I can in my dimension, but I get weaker with every new tear in the stream," Danielle said with a frown on her lips. Another couple of rips appeared, one after the other, and she let out an audible gasp, waiting for the pain to pass.

"Are you alright?" Koenma inquired worriedly at the same time Amanda did, but Danielle merely nodded her head and told Koenma to continue. "Do you think you could travel to this dimension? We have reason to believe the culprit's home base is somewhere in this dimension's Makai," he said flipping through some files that had been laying on his desk.

"Sure, I'll try," Danielle muttered, "but first, me and Amanda have to talk and get all this settled," she added and played with a strand of brown hair that hung in her face after falling out of her ponytail.

Koenma nodded, "Alright. Open up a portal to my office and come when you're ready. Ihave a meeting to attend, but your, ah... brother will be here to greet you," he said, grinning at the way Danielle's eyes brightened up.

And brighten up Danielle did as she became excited. She was definitely going to the yu yu dimension. She had missed them all so much! "Really!" she asked bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, and when Koenma confirmed it, she squealed, "Awesome! I miss him and the others so much!"

Koenma laughed and cut the connection between the two dimensions, and Danielle turned back to her bed, where Amanda sat quietly. The kitsune was about to explain everything to Amanda when Koenma appeared on the screen again and added, "Oh, and bring along that wolf demon there," and pointed to Amanda.

Danielle's smile fell to a confused frown, and she looked from Koenma to Amanda back to the TV screen, which was now blank. "What?" she asked dumbly. Amanda gave the kitsune a guilty, nervous smile. "I was going to tell you? Eheheh..." Amanda said with an anxious chuckle. Danielle just gaped at the girl...

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Kyla: Well? How was it? Yes, I understand that this story is moving along a LOT slower than A New Dimension, A New Adventure but I'm trying to make this sequel longer... I may eventually go back and rewrite A New Dimension, A New Adventure, but for now, I just don't have the time. Perhaps this summer! It's something to keep me busy at least... well, gotta go. See you next chapter! Give that little review button down there some exercise! 


	6. Amanda the Wolf

Kyla: Okay, everyone! I finally updated this story! Sorry it took so long.. Haven't had a lot of time lately, what with Prom and school and such, but... Here it is! Chapter 6! Ooh, lemme tell y'all... next chapter, one of the Yu Yu guys will arrive at the very beginning! I think I left enough hints in chapter 5, but I'm not sure... AND, I plan on chapter 11 being a fluffy chapter between Hiei and Danielle. That's all the 411 on this story you get for now though! ;p Review, okies? Enjoy the chapter!

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The Return of a Legend  
:Chapter Six:  
"Amanda the Wolf"  
by  
Kyla

Amanda shifted uncomfortably while Danielle stared at her in surprise. "You're a demon?" Danielle(Danis) asked, and Koenma's face vanished from the screen again.

"Mhm," Amanda nodded with a small, nervous smile. "I was so going to tell you! I swear!" she hurriedly exclaimed, hoping for Danielle to not be mad at her. She sighed and looked up to find Danielle grinning. "What was that thing with the toddler on the screen?"

"Well," Danielle began in a sing-song voice, "you know how you've got your secret with being a wolf demon?" She waited for Amanda to nod then spoke again grinning, "I'm a kitsune. A dimensional kitsune to be exact." With that, the girl shifted to her demon form. Her hair lenghened to her waist, changing from the chocolate brown to silky golden locks that were tipped in silver and streaked with black. She opened her eyes to reveal sharp, purple eyes, and black fox ears popped out of her head, a long, silver fox tail swished into view behind her. She gave her friend a fanged grin.

"Awesome! And, uh, what was that up with Koenma on your screen?" Amanda asked curiously. Her parents had told her about Koenma and the other dimension they had fled from, and she found it ironic that she met someone who cold accept her being a youkai.

"About a year ago, his Spirit Detectives somehow ended up in this dimension, and I helped them get back to their home. Once and a while, Koenma will set up a connection between the dimensions so I can talk with him and see how everyone's doing. But,apparently this evil dude is ripping holes in the dimensional stream, and it's causing a lot of problems in all the different dimensions, creatures being transported to a different world, putting billions in danger," Danielle explained with a sigh, bustling around stuffing clothes and things she would need into a bag.

"And so now... you have to go to another dimension and fight this bad guy?" Amanda guessed with a raised brow. This was all so confusing to her. Why would she have to go with Danielle? Not that she didn't want to... Besides, she had to check out these friends of her, especially that Hiei guy. She had to make sure he was good enough for her best friend.

"Yepp," Danielle chuckled and snatched up Amanda's overnight bag, only to tossit at the wolf, who exclaimed, excited about some adventure and fun, "Awesome!" Amanda caught her bag, slipping it over her shoulder. "You ready?" Danielle asked hoisting her own bag onto her shoulder.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Amanda hollered and pumped her fists into the air. "Wait," she muttered frowning, "how're we going to get to another dimension?" she asked looking around for any signs of a portal or something along those lines.

"Uh, hello?" Danielle grinned and lightly bonked her friend on the head, "Dimensional kitsune RIGHT here!" The two shared a look,then both burst out laughing.

"Oh yeah! Well, you dimensional kitsune, let's go!" Amanda shouted and playfully punched her friend's shoulder, a bright smile back on her face, the confusion gone now.

Danielle laughed, then her face melted to a look of concentration as she gathered some aura to create a rip to the Yu Yu dimension. She flinched at the small pang of the rip like someone had ran a knife over her abdomen. She opened her eyes and walked over to pull her closet door open, revealing, not her clothes and shoes, but a strange, swirly-looking portal. Her energy was going quick, but she showed no sign on the outside. She grinned and mock-bowed, and with a sneer, she said, "After you..."

"Why thank you," Amanda sniggered then squared her shoulders and stepped through the portal. After she vanished from the dimension she had been raised in since she was an infant, Danielle too jumped through.

The kitsune landed softly on her feet then turned to close the portal. As the portal disappeared, she felt a little better. She'd have to close up some more portals to get more of her strength back. Just after she had closed the portal, two more were torn open, and she winced slightly but ignored it. When she heard someone mutter her name she snapped around, her eyes widening...

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Kyla: How was it? Okay, I know these chapters are short, and I'm really sorry, but I don't have room in y day-to-day schedule to make them very long unless you guys want to wait even longer for updates. Plus, I have three other stories I need to work on... Kat or Cait, if you're reading this, I haven't started TST, but I'm still brainstorming some, kay? ttyl! 


	7. Adopted Big Brother

Kyla: Okay, hopefully this chapter is a little bit longer than the last ones... I typed some of the next chapter into this one. I'll probably eventually try to combine at least two chapters into one each time, lol. Hope you likie! Review!

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The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Seven  
"Adopted Big Brother"  
by  
Kyla

At the sound of her name, Danielle whirled around, and here eyes widened at whom she saw standing there... "Kurama!" she shrieked happily and rushed forward, throwing her arms around the redheaded yoko's neck in a tight hug.

"Danielle," Kurama spoke softly and wrapped his arms around the girl's middle, and he picked her up slightly, twirling around once then setting her back down, a wide smile stretched over his face.

"Oh, Kura!" Danielle sighed with a giant grin on her lips, "I've missed you so much! Both you and the others! I can't even begin to say how much I missed you!" she exclaimed hugging him still tighter.

"And we've missed you greatly as wel," Kurama replied quietly. He couldn't stop smiling as he hugged his "adopted" little sister.

Someone cleared her throat and drew the duo's attention to herself. "Um..." Amanda hummed with a nervous smile. "Hey," she said self-consciously and waved.

"Oh!" Danielle gasped, "Oh, I'm so sorry! Amanda, this is Kurama. Kurama, meet Amanda!" the kitsune quickly introduced the two to one another and pulled out of Kurama's arms.

"Nice to meet you," Amanda waved again from her spot, still a little nervous about this redhead. He seemed nice enough, but... She stayed at her spot where the portal had been not moments ago.

Kurama glided over to the wolf and gently took her hand in his, softly landing a kiss on the top of her hand. "It's a pleasure, Amanda," he greeted and added one of his charming smiles to try and make the girl feel more comfortable.

Amanda's face flushed a light red, and she giggled. "Well..." she murmured, clearly impressed and surprised to find such a... nice, charming--not to mention cute-- guy. "I like him, Dani... He's not the one you have a crush on is he?" she inquired with a small smile at her friend.

Danielle's face turned crimson, and she hurriedly stammered, "N-no! Kura's like my older brother! I don't like him THAT way," she babbled, and Kurama couldn't help but chuckling at her antics, her arms waving frantically in the air around her.

"Oh," Amanda's grin widened some at seeing Danielle so flustered. She shook her head, laughing lightly, then asked with a thoughtful frown. "Who's the guy you DO like? Because you know I have to meet him and see if he's good enough for my buddy."

"H-his name's Hiei," Danielle murmured with a small grin and averted her eyes shyly to the floor, a blush spreading over her cheeks some.

The dimensional kitsune suddenly sensed Kurama's aura drop slightly, like he was sad, and when she turned to face him, he, sure enough, had a tiny, sad smile replacing his earlier, happier smile.

"Kura, when do I... get to see the others?" Danielle asked, trying to avoid directly asking about Hiei. She was kind of afraid of what she might find out. Hiei might have fell in love with someone else, or he might've just forgotten about her all together, but when she heard Kurama's explanation, her heart fell.

"Yusuke and Kuwabara have been notified of your visit, so they are probably waiting at Genkai's temple, where you will be staying, to greet you" Kurama chortled some, earning a little laugh from Danielle while Amanda stood in a nervous silence behind Kurama. The yoko's laughter died away as he became serious though. "Hiei, on the other hand... We-we don't see him very often. He's been keeping to himself more and more. When we do see him, he seems to be getting thinner. He hardly talks to me and will not talk to anyone else... I'm... worried about him.. but now that you're here, I think he'll be fine. I'll try to find him as soon as I can, but first, let's get you two to the temple," he faked a smile and picked up both Danielle's and Amanda's bags.

"But... Hiei... why would he...?" Danielle was at a loss for words. She had thought he'd at least act like normal. If she had known this would've happened... Well, she didn't know what she would have done, but she could have tried to think of something to do!

Kurama paused in the doorway, his back to the two girls. Amanda saw how upset both Kurama and Danielle were, but she didn't really know what was going on, so she decided to stay quiet and let them talk, since they hadn't seen each other in almost a year.

"He missed you that much," Kurama answered, voice soft and quiet. "I regret forcing him back through the portal... Had I known he would suffer like this, I... would've just let him stay in your dimension. It would've been better for both you and him..." He sighed sadly, the floor drawing his gaze downward, back still to Danielle and Amanda.

Danielle walked around to stand in front of Kurama and hugged him, burying her face in the warm fabric of his shirt. "It's not your fault. You did the right thing by bringing him back to this dimension... This is where he belongs," she mumbled into his chest, her voice coming out muffled, but the redhead heard every word, and a small smile slipped over his lips.

"Thanks," the yoko whispered and returned the siblingly hug after setting down the bags. "You want to go see the others?" he asked quietly and felt her nod against his head.

"A-hem!" Amanda cleared her throat, wanting to lighten up the mood some, and when both of them looked at her, she grinned and ran over to them, slinging an arm around each's shoulder. "We going to just stand here all day!" she asked bouncing on her feet. "Let's go!" she urged and pushed them out the room. Kurama quickly snatched the bags back up and started down the hall.

"Follow me,ladies," Kurama bowed gracefully, gesturing to the right. He walked ahead of them, and Amanda and Danielle hung back because Amanda wanted to say something to Danielle.

"He's sooooo fine!" Amanda whispered frantically to Danielle as she latched herself on the kitsune's arm, dragging Danielle down the hall in her excitement.

Danielle burst out laughing, and Kurama, who, with his excellent hearing, heard what the wolf said, chuckled. "Oh, so... you like him? Maybe like a... crush?" Danielle whispered back with a sly grin.

"Huh? No... I'm just saying he's hot!" Amanda replied in a squeal and did a little dance while she was walking. Danielle thought, _Crush... definitely a crush._ She smirked and followed after Kurama with Amanda at her side.

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Kyla: How was it? Not much happening yet in this story, but more will come, I promise! Don't forget to review!


	8. To Genkai's Temple We Go

Kyla: Okay, this is chapter 8 and chapter 9 combined, so... yeah. Chapter 9 was gonna be really short anyways, so I combined them! Sorry, readers... still no Hiei... I'm planning that real soon though. ;p Enjoy!

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The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Eight  
"To Genkai's Temple We Go"  
by  
Kyla

On down the hall, they came to a portal. Kurama stopped and turned to the girls. "This portal will take you straight to Genkai's temple. After you," he uttered politely with a respectful bow.

Amanda giggled and followed Danielle through the portal. On the other side, the wolf cam to an amazed halt next to Danielle, and as Kurama appeared beside them, the two girls gave equally astonished "woah"s. They stood before the temple, just about 10 feet from a large building, and they coud vaguely make out the sounds of people talking.

Danielle sent Kurama a questioning look, as if to ask, "They're in there? Can we go on in?" He smiled and nodded his head in a yes. Danielle grinned, and she rushed forward, running into the temple, heading directly to the room she heard voices in. She slid the door open, and silence immediately fell over the group inside the room.

"Danielle!" Yusuke and Kuwabara shouted and raced over to hug her, both wearing idiotic grins on their faces.

"Ugh, can't... breath...!" Danielle choked out, smiling like mad. She had missed them, too, but they were squeezing her way too tight. She laughed and pushed against them to get them to let go.

The two boys laughed and released her from the duo's bear hug. Yusuke chuckled and gave her a noogie. She squealed and wriggled out of his grasp, and Kuwabara clapped his hand on her back and said, "Good to see you!" By this time, Amanda and Kurama had caught up with Danielle. Kurama entered the room and took a seat on the couch, but Amanda felt selfconscious around so many people she didn't know at all.

Danielle's eyes swept over the room, and she found a lot of people sitting in the room. There was Keiko, Shizuru, Yukina, and Genkai, along with Botan and Koenma. "Hi! I'm Danielle, and this," the kitsune grabbed Amanda's arm and pulled her further into the room, "is my friend, Amanda!"

Everyone exchanged their greetings, then Amanda and Danielle sat down to chat with the others, eating the pizzas Yusuke had ordered on Koenma's tab, of course, and all in all, it was a nice visit. Danielle ocassionally felt holes being torn into the dimensional stream, and she was having some difficulty hiding it from the others. She sensed about five portals open, just on the temple grounds. Somehow, she decided, she had to sneak away and close some of those portals.

"Where are you going?" Kurama asked when he saw the dimensional kitsune get up and head for the door. He knew it was really none of his business, but he just wanted to be sure.

Danielle stopped in the doorway and smiled over her shoulder at the now silent group of people, all of them staring at her. "I just need to get some air," she stated brightly, trying not to wince as she felt another rip being torn.

"Alright, just don't wander out too far into the forest," Kurama warned, feeling cautious. At least he would know where to look if something happened to her.

"Yeah, it's easy to get lost in the old hag's forest..." Yusuke grumbled irrately. It sounded like this advice had come from experience. Poor Yusuke...

"Okay," Danielle nodded and exited the room, shutting the door behind her. She walked outside and glanced around at the trees. Within a moment, she had located the nearest dimensional portal. It was deep into the forest, but she figured she could remember the way out, so she trotted through the forest and began closing any portals she came across.

"F-fina-finally" Danielle panted after rushing through, closing all the portals she could find. She doubled over, hands on her knees, and caught her breath. Looking around, she found that... she was lost. "Great," she groaned and plopped down at the base of a tree, glaring at all the possible paths she could've came in on, but still, she had no clue.

"Dani sure has been gone awhile," Kuwabara pointed out when a lull in the conversation hit.

"Yeah, she has," Yusuke muttered in agreement, his brows knitting together thoughtfully. Kurama glanced outside the partially opened door then sighed and shifted around in his seat beside Amanda. "So, how long have you known Dani?" the redhead asked conversationally.

"Eh, about a 6 months. I was spending the night at her house when Koenma popped up on the TV and asked her to come to this dimension ," Amanda answered distractedly and looked outside. "I'm getting kind of worried about Dani," she added absently.

"She'll be alright," Yukina assured the wolf and handed her a cup of tea. Amanda thanked her and sipped on the drink some, still worried and glancing back out the door every couple of minutes.

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Kyla: Well? Did you like it? Not much action again, but... lol. Don't forget to review! Oh! Fluffy reunion chapter between Hiei and Danielle should be coming up in a couple of chapters, so... that one might be short, but I'm trying to make it pretty fluffy. ;p See you next chapter! Review me peoples! lol.  



	9. Save Me

Kyla: In a hurry to post this... ENJOY! ;p

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The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Nine  
"Save Me"  
by  
Kyla

Hiei had perched himself on a tree branch deep in Genkai's forest. He couldn't get Danielle off his mind... He hadn't been able to for the past nine months. He missed her so bad... Wait! A very farmiliar scent hit his nose, and his crimson eyes widened. "Danielle?" he murmured in disbelief and was on his feet in an instant.

He heard something crashing through the woods... actually two things. He hopped from branch to branch, following after the noise, and he came upon a girl that had tripped, a demon lunging at her as it tore open the girl's leg with its claws. He couldn't take this... He knew who that girl was, and he wasn't about to sit idly by and let some low-level demon do anything to her.

With speed that no human could possibly reach, Hiei sped down and killed the demon, returning to the shadows right afterwards, as if he continued to doubt if that girl was really who he thought she was. He saw her stumble a couple steps away from the dead demon's body, looking around cautiously for signs of danger.

When she spoke to ask who was there, Hiei froze, eyes wide, and his breath caught in his throat. "It is her," he gasped quietly. His mind fogged over momentarily, as if in a trance of some kind, but when he saw the blood from the claw marks on her leg starting to pool around her, he snapped out of his daze and pushed himself out of the shadows, landing quietly in front of her, startling her greatly.

Danielle was shocked to see Hiei, but she was so glad to see him. She whispered his name in surprise, a small smile touching her lips, but then she fell unconscious with a whimper of pain, clutching her leg.

"Danielle," Hiei breathed and quickly cushioned her fall. He yanked his scarf off and wrapped it securely around her leg to stem the flow of the bleeding. Then, he hoisted her carefully into his arms and hurried back to the temple.

Kurama sensed Hiei and Danielle's aura approaching, and he quickly and politely excused himself to meet them outside. "Hiei," the redhead began, but when he saw Danielle, he gasped, "what happened?"

"A demon attacked her, managed to tear open her leg," Hiei stated walking right past Kurama without looking at the yoko. "I'm taking her to my room, are you coming?" Hiei snapped and threw a glare over his shoulder at the yoko.

"Yes, of course," Kurama responded, hurrying after Hiei. While Hiei went straight to his room, Kurama ran to get a first aid kit. After a few minutes, Kurama carefully pulled Danielle's pant leg down over the bandages and sat back in his chair with a small sigh, "There, all finished."

"Hn," Hiei replied from his seat on the bed. He had Danielle's left hand cradled in his right, his eyes never leaving her face.

"I'm going to go tell the others. They'll probably want to come in. Do you mind?" Kurama inquired, casting a glance at the fire demon on the bed. The redhead stood in the doorway waiting on an answer.

Hiei shrugeed wordlessly, not bothering to spare a look at the yoko, and without another word, Kurama walked out of the room. He headed for the living room, where the others were gathered, and explained everything to them. "Danielle's back," he said, "but she was tired, so I showed her to Hiei's room to rest. Yusuke, Kuwabara, let's go get Amanda and Danielle's rooms prepared, ne?"

"Is Danielle okay?" Amanda asked in worry. Something seemed wrong... She wasn't stupid. And, she smelt blood...

"I assure you, Danielle is fine," Kurama smiled in response as he spoke, then he ushered Yusuke and Kuwabara out of the room to go prepare the girls' rooms.

Amanda didn't really believe them, and she was also curious as to why Kurama had put Danielle in what's-his-name's room. She wanted to know who this Hiei was... But, she shook her thoughts away and chatted with Yukina and the others still in the room while Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama worked and Hiei sat watching over Danielle.

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Kyla: REVIEW! 


	10. Fluffy Love

Kyla: Okies, readers... FLUFFY CHAPTER ALERT! Warning: This chapter is pretty short, but it's full of fluff(I hope...) of Hiei and Danielle! XD Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

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The Return of a Legend  
Chapter 10  
"Fluffy Love"  
by  
Kyla

In the silence of the room, Hiei was left with his thoughts... Danielle's hand remained in Hiei's, and after a few moments of just staring at her, committing every detail of her to memory, he raised his other hand to her face, resting it on her cheek.

Her chest steadily rose and fell as her body took breaths without a second thought, and chocolate locks of hair splayed over the pillow case. She seemed so peaceful.

"Hiei," she mumbled in her sleep, and her hand closed tighter around Hiei's. She shifted around unconsciously some then her grip loosened again as she became still once more.

"I'm here," he whispered and gently squeezed her hand in his. He ran the fingers of his other hand through her hair, then he leaned over to tenderly kiss her forehead.

Still very much asleep, she smiled softly and turned her head more into his hand that he had set on her cheek again after running his hand through her hair.

Hiei couldn't stop the small smile that pulled its way onto his lips. He couldn't believe he was seeing her again. Had she missed him as much as he had missed her? He pondered on that for a few quiet minutes until her eyes began to flutter open. Excitement grew within him, and a small grin spread out across his face as she sat up, her hand slipping away from his as she sat up.

Pulling herself toa sitting position, Danielle stretched her arms out, a small yawn forcing it's way out of her mouth. Her sleep-filled eyes stared blearily at the comforter that covered her. "What?" she grumbled and raised a hand to rub the last of the sleep from her eyes, "This isn't my bed..."

"No," Hiei stated softly, "it's my bed." He smirked at her usual morning behavior. She really hadn't changed all that much over the past nine months; she just looked a little older now.

"Hm?" she glanced at him to see who had spoken, and it took a few seconds for her to realize. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in shock, "H-Hiei?" she stammered in disbelief.

"Hn?" Hiei replied in only a way Hiei could. He didn't move though... He smirked at her shock, but he didn't move towards her, afraid this all might just be a dream and if he got too close, Danielle would just disappear.

Tears began to gather at the corners of Danielle's eyes, and she crawled over to where Hiei sat. It was so hard to believe, and she wanted to make sure he was real. She slowly brought her hand up to his face and set it on his cheek. She smiled. "It was you," she whispered in relief.

Hiei let his crimson eyes rest shut, and he leaned slightly into the touch, enjoying the warmth her hand emitted. He laid one of his hands on hers that covered his left cheek, and slowly, his eyes reopened to meet Danielle's gaze. "Hey, onna," he greeted with a smirk.

"Hey," Danielle replied with a grin. He was just as she remembered him, smirk and all...

Never breaking eye contact, he turned his head to her hand and landed a soft kiss there on her palm while his fingers intertwined with hers.

They moved around so that Hiei sat against the wall that the bed was pushed up against, his arms wrapped securely around Danielle, whose head rested on Hiei's collar bone and her arms wrapped loosely around his midriff. "I missed you," she murmured quietly.

"I missed you as well," Hiei whispered and softly kissed the top of her head. He was enjoying sitting here with the girl he loved in his arms. "I love you," he sighed lightly and cuddled Danielle closer.

She grinned and looked up at Hiei. "I love you, too," she said and brushed her lips over his before burying her face into the crook of his neck and took a deep breath, breathing in his scent. The two sat in silence the rest of the time, hardly speaking, but they were loving every minute of it, just sitting there together.

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Kyla: Well? Enough fluff or no? I might try to rewrite this chapter and attempt to add more fluff if it isn't enough.. but I really need to work on Crescent Kat right now... lol. Review, please! 


	11. Mission Makai

Kyla: Okay, this had better be long enough for at least a while... I've got finals starting this Friday.. ;p I just thought I ought to update, and I've been typing on this chapter every day in computer class for about 3 or 4 or even 5 days, so... enjoy!

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The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Eleven  
"Mission Makai"  
by  
Kyla

Yukina rose from her seat. "I'm going to go start dinner. It should be done in about an hour," she said in her soft voice. Keiko hopped up and offered to help, as did Shizuru. Yusuke and Kuwabara were outside fighting.. They had gotten into an arguement over something stupid, so the girls had sent them outside to fight instead of inside.

Amanda squirmed in her seat. She still felt a little uncomfortable since she had still just met everyone. She wondered were Danielle was but kept silent. Kurama suddenly spoke to her, "Would you like to come with me and tell Hiei and Dani that supper will be soon?"

"Yeah, sure," Amanda answered and accepted the yoko's hand. He helped her up, then she followed him down the hall. "Uh, Kurama, was it?" she inquired, and the redhead nodded for her to continue, "Who is this Hiei? Danielle's talked about him before, but... And, is he the one Danielle likes?"

Kurama chuckled, "Yes, Hiei is the one that Dani likes. He's a teammate of ours and my best friend. I'll introduce you," he said coming to a stop in front of a door that he softly knocked on.

There were sounds of movement and a bed creaking, then soft footsteps. The door was then yanked open by an annoyed Hiei, who glared at the two who had interuppted his quiet time with Danielle.

"Hello, Hiei," Kurama greeted casually and pushed through into the room. "Hello, Dani," he said and hugged Danielle, "feeling better?"

"Mhm, thanks, Kura," Danielle replied with a bright smile and returned the redhead's hug. "Hey, Amanda," she added seeing her friend in the doorway staring cautiously at Hiei.

"Danielle," Amanda exclaimed and ran over to wrap her arms around the kitsune in a bone-crushing hug, "I was worried about you!" she shouted, the loud voice ringing in Danielle's ears.

"Sorry," Danielle apologized along with a chuckle and returned the hug. "I'm fine now though!" she chirped.

When the two pulled apart, Kurama cleared his throat. "Amanda, this is Hiei. Hiei, meet Amanda," he said, introducing the two to one another.

"Uh, nice to meet you?" Amanda spoke uneasily to the fire demon. She didn't like the way he was glaring at her like she had done something wrong, and she wasn't sure if this guy was someone good enough for Danielle.

"Hn," Hiei responded indifferently, nodding his head to her in acknowledgement. "Any particular reason for barging in here?" he snapped at Kurama.

Amanda was about to point out that they had not "barged in" but had knocked on the door before even coming in, but Kurama caught the chance to answer before her. "I just thought you'd like to know dinner should be done in a little while, and Amanda was worried about Dani, so we thought we'd come and say hi," the yoko said calmly, not at all angered by Hiei's rude outburst, and Amanda found that odd. She wouldn't have taken something like that from a jerk like the shrimp.

"Hn," Hiei snorted and disappeared from the room with a burst of his speed while Kurama excused himself to see how dinner was going, leaving Amanda and Danielle to talk.

"That," Amanda sat down opposite Danielle on the bed,"was Hiei?" she asked doubfully. "No offense, but youcould do a lot better..." Her voice trailed off, and Danielle rolled her eyes.

"Nah, he's a little rough around the edges, but... he's a really good guy deep down," Danielle sighed wistfully and looked out the window, barely making out the silouhette of a figure with crimson eyes, and she smiled at Hiei as he sat perched in a tree branch within view of the window.

The next day, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, Amanda, and Danielle all arrived in Koenma's office after breakfast, and the toddler prince immediately got started with business. "Ahem," he began professionally, "as you all know, a demon is ripping holes in the dimensional stream," he stated to the group he was debriefing. Everyone nodded, and he continued, "We have reason to believe that the perpatrator's home base is in Makai." He fell silent and looked around the group.

Danielle's eye twitched in a wince as she felt another rip torn into the stream, but she ignored the pain and asked, "So, how do we find the demon responsiblefor all of this?"

"I was waiting for one of you to ask that," the pince of Spirit World grinned, and everyone else exchanged suspicious looks. "Danielle and Amanda will go undercover in Makai, Kurama and Hiei will go with them to protect them, and Yusuke and Kuwabara will be in charge of closing off as many portals as they can with our DSR, or dimensional sream repairer," he said to the group, who all commented that wouldn't be so bad and relaxed.

"Alright, so what are me and Dani going undercover as?" Amanda asked, at ease.

"Waitresses at a pub in Makai," Koenma stated offhandedly while Danielle and Amanda gave one another uneasy glances. "Let's go through that door over there," the prince said and indicated to a door to the right of his desk, "and we'll wait while you girls try on your disguises."

So, the group migrated to a room that had two small changing rooms opposite the door. The changing rooms weren't even really seperate rooms, just little corners that had swinging doors and locks, of course. "The disguises are hanging in the changing rooms," Koenma explained.

With identical sighs, Danielle and Amanda cautiously made their ways into their seperate changing rooms. After a few minutes passed while the guys just hung around talking and there were sounds of rustling clothing behind the locked doors, both girls screamed, and Danielle grabbed hold of the top of the door and heaved herself up enough to glare at Koenma.

"What?" the toddler asked innocently and looked up at the ceiling, twiddling his fingers absently.

"You know what," Danielle, now in her demon form, growled, her ears completely flat against her head. She let go of the top of the door and dropped back into the dressing room. There was a small click as she unlocked the door and swung it open, marching over to Koenma with murderuous eyes, her tail swishing angrily from side to side.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei sared wideyed at Danielle, who blushed but ignored them and tromped up to Koenma to get in his face so as to yell better and louder at the infant ruler. "I don't think so! There is no way I am wearing THIS!" she exclaimed.

"I agree!" Amanda shouted, still locked in her dressing room. "These are.. are just.. NO!" she screamed.

The guys could have guessed while Danielle and Amanda may not take kindly to the disguises, especially Hiei and Kurama, who had accidently seen Danielle in a pair of her pajamas one night that wasn't that modest, but it was hot that night, so she didn't want to wear a lot of clothing to burn up in... Poor Hiei and Kurama ended up getting hit with random objects that Danielle had somehow managed to get her hands on.

Danielle wore a black, strapless midrift shirt that had mis-sized and uneven poka dots, like paint splotches of crimson over the black fabric, and there were black and red ribbons on the sides to tie and cross over one another all the way to her wrists, where the excess ribbons hung loose down to her knees. A black fabric choker snaked around her neck snugly, and setting low on her hips was a skrt that fell down to her ankles and had slits on each side up to mid-thigh, where very tight, short black shorts could be seen. There were crimson splotches all over the skirt like the top, and a black, see-through sash was tied lopsided around her waist like a weird belt, the knot resing on her right hip. She wore silver jewelry, like bracelets on each wrist. Her silver tail swished behind her, and her hair that was tipped in red and streaked with black was braided and held by a black ribbon tied into a neat bow. A round of silver sat atop her head, and two silver bracelets on her left ankle clinked together when she moved her foot.

Koenma had left instructions in the dressing rooms that told the girls to be in their demon form and what to do with their hair and all that stuff.

Anyone could tell Danielle definitely wasn't happy, if the glare on her face was any indication... That murderous glower was now directed straight at Koenma, and he was beginning to get nervous...

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Kyla: Okay, would that count as a cliffhanger? If so, I'm sorry, but I need to end the chapter here, or else everything I've written down will be totally confusing to have to deal with... but I combined chapters 12 and 13 to make this chapter, so... Anyways, REVIEW!


	12. Trouble

Kyla: Well, I don't know why "A Runin With Sesshoumaru" hasn't appeared in my profile yet... I posted it Saturday... Surely it would be up by NOW! -sighs- I dunno... oh well. TWO MORE DAYS OF SCHOOL FOR ME! Yippee! Oh, and me no ownie Yu Yu Hakusho...

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The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Twelve  
"Trouble"  
by  
Kyla

"Please, let me explain first!" Koenma squaked nervously as Danielle's glare hardened. The kitsune tapped her foor impatiently, silently signaling for him to explain and fast. the prince sighed in relief and began to speak. "Okay, so the bad guy's base is in Makai, right?" he inquired, and there were nods and agreements, so he continued, "Well, demons that do have information aren't going to just give it to Spirit World willingly. We'd have to give them something in return, and who knows what they would ask for! So, that's why I'm sending Danielle and Amanda to get information. No one would suspect two Makai waitresses..."

"HECK NO!" Danielle and Amanda exploded at the same time, and the ground under them shook.

"There is NO way! I am NOT going to go undercover at a pub dressed like this and being eyed by every single demon!" Danielle shouted, her aura flickering angrily, "I'll get attacked or something!"

"No, you won't. That's why Hiei and Kurama are going with you... to be your bodyguards," Koenma stated grinning. "So, how about it?"

"HECK NO!" Amanda and Danielle boomed again, and the guys winced and had to cover their ears against the shrill voices.

"Ah, come on, Dani... you look like a total babe!" Yusuke hollered with a stupid grin on his face. "You'd have all the demons wrapped around your finger! They'd give you the information without any problem!" He gave her a wink and a thumbs up while Kuwabara gave her a catcall and laughed.

Danielle's cheeks were on fire in embarrassment, and she glared at the two punks, though it seemed to have little affect on them...

Hiei waltzed over and wrapped an arm around her waist possessively and glared at Yusuke and Kuwabara for her. Both boys immediately fell silent, the grins remained on their faces. Danielle felt more calm now that Hiei was there.

Kurama chuckled, watching the scene unfold before him and Koenma, then he made his way over to Amanda's dressing room. "Come on out, Amanda," he said and gently rapped his knuckles on the door in a series of knocks.

"No!" Amanda yelled back stubbornly. "This is... These are...! Just-just NO, okay! Not in these skimpy little things!"

While Amanda ranted on, Kurama sighed and pulled out a small seed. Pushing his energy into it, a long thin vine grew and creeped under the door. There was a click as the vine successfully unlocked the door. He pulled the door open, and Amanda yelped in surprise.

The wolf was dressed in the same outfit as Danielle but her waist-length crimson hair was pulled into a high ponytail that was held by a black ribbon tied in a bow, and two strands of her long hair hung on either side of her face, some small strands tumbling over her crimson eyes.

Kurama gaped, frozen to his spot with wide eyes, and Amanda glared at the yoko and screamed, "Pervert! Stop staring at me and get out of here!"

Suddenly, Kurama's appearance changed, emerald eyes turning to gold, crimson hair fading to silver. Fox ears replaced human ears, and a fox tail became visible, swishing back and forth behind her. "Hm... Let's get a closer look at this lovely little wolf," Yoko purred and stepped forward, closing and locking the door behind him.

"You better back up off me, boy!" Amanda snarled and flattened herself to the far wall to get away from the demon in front of her.

Danielle ran over and hopped up to grip the top of the door and hoist herself up when she heard the commotion going on. "Yoko, get out of there!" the dimensional kitsune exclaimed.

"No thanks," Yoko smirked at Danielle over his shoulder then turned back to Amanda, who cursed and yelled at the yoko, threatening him with a painful death if he didn't get away.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Amanda shouted, "Me and you gonna fight, and you ain't gonna be no pretty boy no more!"

Yoko didn't seem to care; he just stepped even closer to her. "Oh, a feitsy wolf," he sneered and made his way even closer to the glaring demoness. Now there was only about a foot and a half between them.

"Yoko, I mean it!" Danielle roared, half her body hanging over the door. Her legs kicked wildly around, and Yusuke and Kuwabara burst out laughing at the sight while Hiei and Koenma watched the scene quietly, neither saying a word.

Reaching a hand back, Danielle slipped her left shoe off her foot. "Yoko!" she screamed but was blatantly ignored, and she growled angrily. She hated being ignored. Taking aim fairly quickly, she chucked her black, slip-on shoe at him. "Bull's eye!" she exclaimed with a grin as the shoe hit the back of the yoko's head.

Yoko flinched and sent aglare at his adopted sister. "That hurt," he pouted and rubbed the back of his head, "Why did you hit me with your shoe?"

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Because you're about to be in trouble. Amanda's not one to mess with," she warned as Amanda heaved a relieved sigh and mouthed the words "thank you" toDanielle.

Yoko grinned. "I think I'll take the risk," he stated and prepared to close the gap between him and Amanda.

"Help!" Amanda yelled and took her shoes off too. She threw them, one after another, at Yoko, both hitting him in the face. "There's a crazed yoko over here! Hey, let go of me!" she added angrily when Yokopinned her to the wall with an annoyed glare. He wasn't too happy at having all those shoes thrown at him.

Amanda wasn't too happy either, and she, of course, struggled, but it didn't do much good. She glared up into the yoko's cold, hard gaze stubbornly.

"Why throw shoes at my face? You yourself said I was a 'pretty boy', so why not play nicely?" he whispered and raised his right hand up to run his fingers over her cheek. Resting his palm on her cheek, he bent down his head down, coming closer and stopping only inches away from her face.

"Gr... Hiei! Yusuke! Kuwabara! Koenma! One of you get your useless butts over here and give me a hand!" Danielle screamed. There was a round of applause from the sniggering group outside the dressing room. An anime vein pulsed on the kitsune's forehead, and she snapped, "Not that kind of hand! I meant one of you get over here and help me! I'm stuck!" she whined. While grumbling, she slipped her other shoe off and threw it at Yoko, and the shoe hit its mark, as the yoko flinched and glared at Danielle, who glared right back.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were laughing too hard already, so they couldn't help, and Koenma was a prince... Did anyone really expect him to actually do that? Plus, Hiei might slaugher him... Speaking of the anti-social fire demon, he was too busy watching the scene unfold in amusement. He knew he would have to cut in and help when things got worse, but for now, everything was fine. Danielle continued to holler in frustration, and her legs kicked frantically.

"Hm, you seem like quite an interesting girl," Yoko noted about Amanda with a grin. He leaned forward more and more until...

* * *

Kyla: Okay! I updated...! YAY ME! Hope you enjoyed it! REVIEW! 


	13. A Yoko's Kiss

Kyla: Okay, first off, sorry if this chapter's a little short. I was really eager to update for you guys, lol. Enoy the chapter!

* * *

The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Thirteen  
A Yoko's Kiss  
by  
Kyla

Their lips met. Amanda gave a muffled yelp and struggled against the yoko's grasp on her. She was seriously getting annoyed now...

Danielle gaped, momentarily frozen, then a glare overcame her facial features. She reached back and grabbed her other shoe, then after aiming, she tossed it, successfully hitting Yoko Kurama in the back of the head again.

Yoko flinched and broke the kiss off to turn semi-around and glare at the kitsune who seemed to have fun throwing shoes at him. He kept his left hand on Amanda's arm to keep her from going anywhere. "What is with the shoes?" he growled, running a hand over the small knot that was now forming on his head.

"Someone get me down from here right now!" Danielle exclaimed, waving both her arms furiously and kicking her legs frantically. Her stomach was beginning to hurt from laying on the top of the dressing room door for so long, and it was making her pretty angry and irritable.

Yoko shrugged, "You'll be fine until I'm done here," he said offhandedly and turned back to the wolf demoness to see Amanda easing away to the side. "Not so fast," the yoko smirked and enclosed her between his arms, his hands resting on the wall behind her while Danielle huffed and started screaming and yelling again. "Now... where were we?" he asked and gave a fake, thoughtful look up at the ceiling.

"We were to the point where you. Backed. UP! Lemme go!" Amanda snarled and tried to dash under the yoko's arm, but he stopped her.

"Ah, yes, now I remember," he murmured and wrapped his arms around thw wolf, pulling her into another kiss, even as she tried to wrench her head away, and the yoko pushed her against the wall to hold her then he set his hands on each of her cheeks to keep her head from moving.

Amanda let some muffled curses loose and continued to struggle again, pushing against his chest to try and get him off of her. The wolven ears on her head were laid back flat in a sign of anger and warning, but yoko wasn't really too concerned about it.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Koenma, and Hiei were all still outside the dressing room, seemingly satisfied watching the scene unfold before them, but Hiei soon sighed, "Guess I'll have to take care of this..." With that, the fire demon made his way over to the door. He yanked on Danielle's feet, and with a yelp, the dimensional kitsune fell into Hiei's arms. Setting her down carefully, he gracefully vaulted himself over the door. "Alright, you've had your fun. Let Kurama back in control now," Hiei ordered sternly, glaring an icy glower at the yoko.

Yoko's tail twitched slightly, and the fox spirit trapped in a human body smirked to Hiei over his shoulder, Amanda yelling, struggling, and threatening. "Ah, but Hiei, I am Kurama, remember?" the yoko sneered.

"Yes," Hiei responded with a nod, "my memory is as good as ever. You know what I mean, Fox, now let Kurama back in control," he growled, his hand inching its way onto the hilt of his katana.

With a heavy sigh, Yoko conceeded, "Oh, fine..." He turned back to Amanda, who froze and glared at the fox,and whispered, "See you later, Love..." He kissed the scowling girl once more, and during the kiss, he shifted back to the redheaded Kurama we all know and love. Kurama instantly pulled away blushing with wide eyes. He quickly muttered an apology then turned tail and ran, unlocking the door as he came to it. He ran past the others and out of the room heading for the portal that lead to Genkai's temple.

"I'm gonna kill him," Amanda seethed in a deadly, quiet voice, her hands balling into fists as she came out of the dressing room to glare at the door Kurama had ran through. "He-he kissed me! I only just met him! That.. that... OH!" she ranted under her breath to no one in particular.

"Ah, it'll be okay, Amanda," Danielle said and set a calm hand on her friend's shoulder, "Come on, let's change out of these stupid disguises then we can relax for a little while."

Amanda sighed and nodded, "Okay... NO GUYS had better even come CLOSE to these dressing rooms!" she snapped at the other four guys still in the room, a couple sniggering behind their hands.

Danielle laughed as her friend stormed back inside the dressing room and slammed the door shut, locking it. "Thanks, Hiei," the dimensional kitsune said happily and pecked Hiei on the cheek then left him standing there blushing so she could change out of her disguise.

* * *

Kyla: You know the drill, guys. ;p Review! I will try to update again ASAP, but at the moment, my fingers are getting kinda tired since I haven't been typing as much this summer, so... but don't worry! I WILL update. Also, I already have an idea for a sequel to this story... dunno for sure if I will do it... it all depends on how this story comes out! XD Anyways, hope you liked the chapter! See ya at the next one! ttyl!


	14. AfterDusk Talks

Kyla: Alright, I'm back! I'm not scheduled to go back to work until Thursday, so... I'll try to update some during that time!  
Hiei: -groans- Noo...  
Kura: Now, now, Hiei.. you know she loves you. -grins-  
Kyla: o.o Where did you guys come from?  
Kura: Uh.. Europe?  
Kyla: You guys went travelling without ME!  
Hiei: Yes, so we could enjoy some quiet.  
Kyla: B-but you weren't he-here for-for my... BIRTHDAY! -wails and cries-  
Kura: -winces from the shrill voice- We are terribly sorry about that...  
Hiei: -covers his ear after Kyla's loud shriek-  
Kyla: No you're not!  
Hiei: You're right, we're not.  
Kyla: -tears gather at eyes- -hiccups- -sad face-  
Kura: -sighs- We ARE.  
Hiei: YOU might be, but I'm not.  
Kyla: -sniffles- -mood changes suddenly- Thanks for saying that, Kura.. I believe you! -smiles at Kura then scowls and bonks Hiei hard on the head- You're just a jerk, Hiei...  
Hiei: -growls- That HURT, woman.  
Kyla: Good! Now, Kura, mind doing the disclaimer?  
Kura: Kyla does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, nor the characters OF Yu Yu Hakusho... She owns only her.. unique.. mind.  
Kyla: Thanks!  
Kura: No problem.  
Hiei: How come he gets to do the disclaimer, woman!  
Kyla: Not this again...  
Hiei and Kyla: -get into a fight/arguement-  
Kura: -mushroom sigh- Onto the chapter... They won't be through fighting for a while...

* * *

The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Fourteen  
After-Dusk Talks  
by  
Kyla

After Danielle and Amanda got changed, the two left for the kitchen, where everyone except Kurama sat. It was time for lunch, so the group began to eat. The whole while, Danielle tried to extend her senses so she could find Kurama, but so far, she had no luck.

Hiei, who sat to her left, nudged her leg with his foot under the table and gave her a questioning look that plainly asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

Danielle glanced down at her plate to see that she had not eaten more than a bite or two since she had got her plate, which was about a half an hour ago. Others around her were finishing up and heading out. Yusuke was out to meet Keiko for a long-overdue date they'd been trying to plan for weeks, and Kuwabara had to rush home because of a phonecall from Shizuru about a sick cat. Yukina was off to clean a little, and Genkai left to relax in the hot springs for a little while.

Now, the only one's sitting there were Amanda, Danielle, and Hiei, the food on Danielle's plate being pushed around by the dimensional kitsune's eating utensil. With a sigh, Danielle asked, "Has anyone seen Kurama lately?" A nervous habit of Danielle's was biting lightly on her lower lip, and Amanda knew this; she saw Danielle look out the door for a second, and the wolf had felt her friend's aura spike some as the kitsune looked for the redhead.

"Hmph, no, and personally, I'm glad," Amanda grumbled, scowling at the thought of the yoko.

Danielle shook her head. "Well, I'm going to go look for him," she said, rising to her feet.

"Hn, the fox can take care of himself. Sit down and eat," Hiei spoke in his monotone voice, sipping some of his tea in the following silence.

"Nah, I'm full anyways," Danielle waved and headed outside, where she quickly picked up Kurama's scent.

Hiei and Amanda exchanged confused looks. "But, she didn't eat anything," Amanda frowned thoughtfully and took a bite of her food.

"Hn," Hiei responded.

"Hey, Shrimp, since you like Dani and all, you do know that if you ever... EVER hurt her, either emotionally, mentally, physically.. whatever... I WILL come after you and make sure you regret it," Amanda growled.

Silence filled the room as the wolf waited on Hiei's reply. "Hn," the small demon replied and stood up, leaving the room without another word. So, Amanda was left with the dishes.

She blinked a couple times, then Amanda hopped to her feet and screamed, "Why am I stuck washing the dishes!"

Somewhere outside the temple, Danielle heard her friend and chuckled. Then, she was all business, and after catching and losing and recatching Kurama's scent, she finally locked onto him. "Hm.. this way," she muttered to herself and walked around the dojo and into the forest a little ways. "Ah, there he is," she quietly cheered, heading for the redhead.

Kurama sat, back leaned against the trunk of a tree, and stared up at the darkening sky. With a frustrated sigh, he dropped his head in his hands. "I should have been able to keep Yoko under control," he mumbled tiredly.

Danielle was about to make herself known, but when she saw Yoko just materialize beside the redheaded Kurama, she ducked behind a tree to see, and hear, what was going on.

"Why are you so stressed out about this?" Yoko scowled as he knelt beside his other half and awaited an answer.

"Because," Kurama whispered harshly, "if Dani and Hiei hadn't been there, who knows how far you would've taken things!" He glared at the fox spirit beside him. "Now, Amanda will hate me," he groaned and wiped a hand over his face in an aggrivated gesture.

"I know you like that girl," Yoko stated irrately, and Kurama gave him a surprised look, his face flushing red, but the spirit continued, "That's why I did what I did. I was trying to help you."

"By making her hate me!" Kurama exclaimed, emerald eyes flashing in anger as he glared at the yoko.

"No. In Makai, if you like a girl, you do what I did and seduce them," Yoko explained glowering at the redhead.

"That's not how it's usually done in Living World, though," Kurama hissed then took a deep breath to calm himself down some.

"Fine then...Mind telling me 'how it's usually done', then?" Yoko snapped irritably and folded his arms over his chest.

"Well, if you like someone, you usually have to take it slow, not rush up on the person you like and start.. start m-making out with them! It's simply not done!" Kurama said through gritted teeth.

Yoko sighed, "You humans have to make everything complicated..." His ears twitched slightly then at the sound of Danielle accidently stepping on a stick and snapping it in half. The dimensional kitsune froze then yanked her head back behind the tree with an 'eep!'as Yoko looked straight at where she was standing.

_I think he saw me,_ Danielle mentally murmured, holding her breath. She hoped Yoko would think it's just a rabbit or something, but as you all know, hoping for something doesn't always make it better... And, as you can probably guess... Yoko had indeed seen Danielle, heard her, and also smelt her. She was b-u-s-t-e-d, busted.

"Let's wrap this up," Yoko said suddenly, and when Kurama asked why with narrowed eyes, the silver-haired fox replied, "You're sister is eavesdropping behind that tree." He pointedto the same tree Danielle hid frozen behind. "You should talk to her..."

"What?" Kurama turned to look at the tree Yoko had pointed out as the fox disappeared from beside him. "Dani?" the redhead asked after a short silence.

Danielle sighed. "Hey, Kura," she greeted him with a smile and walked out from behind the tree. She plopped down to sit beside him. "What's up? Missed you at dinner," the dimensional ktisune said conversationally.

"Amanda hates me, doesn't she?" Kurama asked, getting straight to the point.

"No, she's just a little... upset at the moment," Danielle said reassuringly. "Give her some time, and she'll come around." She smiled at him in silent assurance.

"You think so?" Kurama combed a hand distractedly through his crimson hair. He sent a questioning look at Danielle.

"Yeah, I do," Danielle grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "So," she began, breaking the short silence, "you like her? A lot?" she inquired slyly with a mischievious look in her eyes.

Kurama couldn't help but laugh at the kitsune's curiousity and prying. "Yes, I like her, but you already knew that, so why did you ask?"

Danielle shrugged, still grinning. "Just wanted to see if you would say it out loud," she winked. "And, now that I know, I'll try to smooth things over with Amanda, okay?" she asked, and without even waiting for an answer, she nodded to herself, "Okay... Night, Kurama!" she exclaimed brightly and headed back to the dojo.

Kurama chuckled then pushed himself to his feet, wiping dirt from his clothes, then he, too, started for the temple to try and get some rest.

Danielle changed intoa black, knee-length night gown and padded over to Amanda's room. She knocked on the door a couple of times lightly and whispered, "Are you asleep?"

The door was pulled open, and Danielle, who had been leaning close to the door with her ear pressed to it to see if she could hear anything, fell into her friend's room, landing with a dull thump. Amanda rolled her eyes and answered, "Of course I'm not asleep. I've been waiting for you to get back! I was beginning to think something had happened to you... Where were you!" she whispered frantically and shut the door as Danielle pulled herself up.

Amanda helped the kitsune to her feet, and they tiptoed over to the bed, sinking down onto it. Danielle sighed, "I was out in the woods talking to Kurama..." Just as she spoke, Amanda scowled. Someone that was walking down the hall stopped at the door to Amanda's room and softly knocked.

"Amanda?" Kurama asked uncertainly from the other side of the door. He bit his lip, thinking she must be asleep. He sighed and started off to his room.

When they were sure he was gone, Amanda seethed in a quiet voice, "That little...!" She grabbed a pillow and screamed into it, the fluffy pillow muffling the girl's yells. After she was done, she fell onto her back on the bed and tossed the pillow to the side, staring straight up at the ceiling. "You really did have us worried, you know," Amanda mumbled, not looking away from the roof.

"Us?" Danielle frowned. She had just been outside in the woods talking to Kurama... Couldn't she do anything without someone thinking they have to watch her 24/7?

"Hiei and me," Amanda clarified, "I have to admit though..." She sat up and grinned at Danielle, "He really does care about and love you..."

"What?"

"Hiei," Amanda giggled, "he seems to honestly and truely love you... I had my doubts, but seeing him today after you left," she paused and looked up dreamily, "you're just... so lucky, Dani. I wish I had a guy like that... That would worry about me, care about me... But... Hm." She shook her head and turned to Danielle, who was blushing a little but still smiling broadly.

"You never know... Your Mr. Right may be just under your nose all the time," Danielle said brightly.

"Really? Where?" Amanda asked in mock surprise and looked down at her nose, causing her to be crosseyed. She even put on a mock serious, thoughtful frown on her face. Then she looked to Danielle, and the two both burst into silent giggles, joking around forthe next fewminutes, eventually stopping, their breath coming in short gasps. They wiped tears of laughter from their eyes and told each other how much their sides hurt from laughing.

When the duo had calmed down, they lay beside one another, both staring up at the ceiling. "Hey, Amanda?" Danielle broke the quiet, not moving her gaze from the roof above their heads.

"Hm?"

"Are you stull upset about what happened with Kurama?" Danielle asked, holding her breath in anxious anticipation for the boom that was about to come.

"Gr... that jerk!" Amanda growled at the mention of Kurama and began ranting and seething, her hands balling into fists on their spot on the wolf's stomach.

Danielle sweatdropped. "Oookay... I'll take that as a yes," she muttered then urged, "Come on, you can't stay mad at him forever... He's too cute and nice!"

"Wanna bet? I can, am, and will be angry with him for the next while. If I forgive him, he'll just think he can try it again!" Amanda grumbled and sent her friend a stubborn scowl.

"Aw, you know you're not really mad at him," Danielle rolled her eyes as she spoke, "You're just really embarrassed is all... No need to make Kurama feel so bad over something that's not such a big deal in reality. I was there, Hiei was there, and we weren't going to let Yoko do anything..."

"Look," Amanda sighed, "can we just drop it for now?... Please?" Her scowl melted away to be replaced by the puppy dog look.

"Now I know how Hiei feels when I use that face on him," Danielle groaned. She shut her eyes and said, "Stop it! Stop making the face!"

"I am, jeez! Just stop covering your eyes, or do you want to be undefended when I start to tickle you?" Amanda laughed after she said this because Danielle's eyes snapped open so fast, the wolf thought her friend might go blind, but Danielle just scooted away from Amanda and sat up.

"No ticklie... You know I don't like it!" Danielle whined quietly.

Amanda smirked, "Yeah, I know, but that doesn't mean I still won't do it!" With that, she lunged at Danielle, who gave a small shriek, and began tickling her.

"N-o--hahahahaha-- stop-stoppit! Hahahahaha, A-Aman--hahahahaha-da! Stop, p-pl-please!" Danielle gasped through her laughter. She was trying to stay quiet so as not to wake anyone up, and she was doing pretty well, but her face was turning red from lack of air.

Amanda grinned and stopped her tickle attack on her best friend. She sat back, leaning against the wall, and waited while Danielle gasped wildly to catch her breath, the kitsune's face as red as a tomato. "You alright?" Amanda asked, just to make sure.

"Y-yeah," Danielle panted and sat up. She finished catching her breath and stood up grinning. "Well, I'm heading to bed. See you in the morning," she bid good night to the wolf and headed out of the room.

"G'night, Dani," Amanda called in a stilled voice so as not to possibly wake anyone since it was getting late at night. As the door closed she laid down and fell into a fitful sleep.

Danielle walked down the hall and stopped as she passed Hiei's door. _Hm... Amanda said he had been worried about me... Maybe I should pop in and let him know I'm okay?_ She nodded silently to herself and moved to stand in front of the small demon's door.

A soft knock or two later, there was no answer, and Danielle was beginning to wonder what would happen if he was asleep and she woke him up. Would he be mad? Hopefully not, but she decided to play it safe andsilently grabbed the handleof the door. She just wanted to poke her head inside and see if he was asleep or not. That was okay, ne?

A soft swoosh echoed down the hallas the dimensional kitsune slowly pushed the door open enough so she could push her head through into the room. She glanced around the darkened room, resorting to squinting to see if Hiei was in the room, but she didn't find him anywhere in the room; even the bed was empty.

Sliding the door open the rest of the way, Danielletiptoed in with mute footstepsand fully entered the room. Her gaze swept the room again before she let out a heavy sigh and turned back to the door.

"What are you doing in here?" Hiei asked from the doorway, his small body propped on the doorframe. He studied her with a confused glare.

"Uh, Amanda said you were really worried, so I was going to come by and tell you I was alright. Oh, and to tell you good night, so," Danielle grinned and giggled a little, "g'night..." She slid into the hall past Hiei and began walking to her room, but a grip on her wrist stopped her, making her look back at the fire demon.

Hiei had grabbed her wrist to stop her, and now that he had successfully done that, he asked meekly, "Don't I get a good night kiss?" His glare fell from his face as he just stared ather with puppy dog eyes.

"Oh, of course! How silly of me; I'm sorry, Hiei," she apologized smiling and walked into his embrace, his arms wrapping around her waist while her arms snaked up and around his neck. She gently pressed her lips to his, and after a moment, he returned the contact, slowly deepening it.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about," Hiei said when the twopulled apart, both breathing a little heavier from lack of air. Before Danielle could say anything in return, Hiei brought the kitsune into another kiss, which she quickly accepted and returned, this one more fierce than the last. He turned the kiss into a French kiss and slid his tongue into her mouth, surprising her a little.

Danielle's eyes widened greatly, however,when she felt a hand crawl under her gown, slowly inching upwards and pulling the nightgown up with it. She froze momentarily, but when the hand was on her upper thigh, way too close for her liking, she stopped Hiei's hand with her own and broke off the kiss. "Watch your hands, Hiei," the kitsune warned dangerously, her eyes flashing, "I don't mind if you want to make out some, but that's as far as I'm willing to go for a long while; do you understand?"

Hiei looked down to where his hand was and paled before yanking it out from under his love's gown, his face flushing slightly. "Sorry," he mumbled and looked away.

"It's okay, I suppose, but be careful where and what you do with those hands," Danielle giggled andkissed Hiei on the nose.

Hiei grinned and initiated Danielle in another kiss, this one just as heated as the one before it. Slowly, Hiei manuevered the kitsune and himself into his room, and eased Danielle onto her back on his futon bed, their lips still locked. He straddled her hips and moved from kissing her on the lips to trailing small kisses down her neck.

She felt a hand try to creep under her gown again, and she slapped Hiei's hand lightly. "Hiei," she said in a warning tone, "don't make me cut your hands off." After a few minutes, she ended up slapping his hands away at least another five times. "I'm tired," Danielle yawned, "can we go to sleep now? It's getting kind of late..."

"Hn," Hiei nodded and moved, smiling, to lay beside Danielle, wrapping the kitsune tightly in his arms. He used one hand to draw the covers around them both, then he kissed her forehead tenderly and whispered, "Night..."

She yawned again and set her head on Hiei's collar bone, muttering, "G'night..." She fell asleep about a minute later, and Hiei grinned staring up at the ceiling as he stroked her hair and listened to her soft snores. "Love you, Hiei," she mumbled half awake then was out like a light for the rest of the night.

"Hn, love you too, onna," Hiei soughed and snuggled the kitsune closer to him and let slumber take hold of him.

* * *

Kyla: Yay! That one was somewhat longer than I thought it'd be!  
Hiei: You made me sound sappy at the end! ... Again! You know I hate sappy!  
Kyla: Eheheh, well... it can't be love without at least a little bit of sappy...  
Kura: Calm down, Hiei... -sighs and holds Hiei back from Kyla-  
Hiei: I. AM. CALM.  
Kyla: -rolls eyes- Yeeaaahhhh... right...  
Hiei: -kicks Kyla's shin-  
Kyla: Ouchie! -hops up and down on one foot-  
Kura: Hiei! Don't be mean.  
Kyla: Yeah, Hiei, don't be mean.  
Hiei: Gr...  
Kura: Kyla?  
Kyla: Hm?  
Kura: Stop egging him on so much.  
Kyla: Hmph... -grumbles- Fine.. See you guys next chapter!  
Kura: Sayonara, minna-san.  
Hiei: Hn. 


	15. In the Night

Kyla: HaHA! Second update within a week!  
Hiei: -groans- When did you say you had to go back to work?  
Kyla: Thursday... Why?  
Hiei: Because when you're working, I hardly have to worry about you updating.  
Kyla: -huffs angrily- That's why I'm trying to update as much as I can while I'm not working!  
Kura: Is being a tour guide hard?  
Kyla: No, not really... The only thing I have to worry about is running into stuff when I'm walking through the cave backwards facing my group. I hit the same garbage can THREE times! Gr...  
Kura: Sounds like you should move the garbage can then.  
Kyla: -sighs- Yeah... Anyways, Kura, disclaimer, please?  
Kura: Sure... Kyla, as usual, does not own Yu Yu Hakusho. She owns a couple of figurines she bought at K-mart and some DVDs, but that's about it.  
Kyla: Right-o!  
Hiei: You're so annoying...  
Kyla: Look who's talking!  
Kyla and Hiei: -start arguing-  
Kura: -mushroom sigh- Must they always fight? Anyway, please enjoy the fifteenth chapter, and don't forget to review!

* * *

The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Fifteen  
In the Night  
by  
Kyla

That night, Amanda tossed and turned, unable to rest peacefully, and finally, around midnight, she sat up with a scowl on her face. She audibly cursed her conscience and kicked the covers off herself, climbing nimbly out of bed.

The wolf wandered aimlessly down the hallways and eventually found herself outside. She strolled into the forest a little ways, coming to a stop after a few minutes to lean against a tree and stare up at the stars overhead.

Meanwhile, Kurama couldn't sleep either, and he, too, decided to get out of bed and walk around some, but seeing as he has a fox spirit within him, he preferred the fresh air outdoors than the stuffy confined areas of the temple. Therefore, he entered into the forest and took a deep breath, breathing in the scents of nature. He smiled and advanced down a small path, humming quietly to himself as he went.

"Hm?" Kurama halted a few feet from Amanda minutes later. "Oh... hello, Amanda," he greeted politely and gave her a forced smile.

Amanda glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "Oh, it's you," she grumbled moodily and grunted, returning her gaze to the sky.

"Listen," Kurama sighed, "I'm sorry for what happened with Yoko..." He stepped closer to her carefully.

"Me too," Amanda muttered, causing the redhead to freeze. She scowled at him then started to walk off, leaving him standing there.

"Wait," Kurama said, tapping into some of Yoko's demonic power to catch up to her. He threw one of his arms out, resting the palm on the bark of a nearby tree, "you haven't forgiven me yet."

"Because I'm not ready to forgive you," Amanda growled, the hairs on the back of her neck bristling, and slipped under Kurama's arm, which dropped back to his side.

With a heavy sigh, he watched the wolf's retreating back until she was out of sight. He groaned and slapped a hand over his face. "Why is it she won't forgive me? I apologized... Danielle told me to give her some time, but... how much time does Amanda need?" He soughed and made his way to the temple, hoping he could get some sleep.

"Are you stalking me or something?" Amanda asked irritably, her arms folded crossly over her chest, and glowered at the redhead, who suddenly realized he'd followed Amanda's scent unconsciously into the kitchen.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't even paying attention," Kurama responded with a fake smile. "I'll leave you alone, now," he added and turned back to the door, intending to go to his room and sleep like he had wanted.

Amanda sighed. "Hold on," she said quietly, and Kurama halted in the doorway to hear what she had to say. "I think we need to talk," she stated calmly.

Kurama slowly turned to face her, unsure of what to do, but he took a seat at the table without a word, waiting for Amanda to speak first.

"Want some hot chocolate while I'm making some?" the wolf asked as a kettle on the stove began to whistle, which signified that the water was hot enough.

"Sure," Kurama replied, concentrating his gaze intently on the tabletop.

Amanda nodded and dug out two cups then poured cocoa mix into each. Turning the stove off, she picked up the kettle and drizzled some boiling water into each cup. "Marshmallows?" she asked absently as she stirred the mixes up, setting the spoon she had used in the sink after she was done with it.

"No thanks."

Amanda nodded, and from the corner of his eye, Kurama saw her open a beg of marshmallows and drop a handful of small white marshmallows into one of the cups. "Here," she said softly and set the cup without the marshmallows in front of him. Then, the girl took a seat beside him.

"Thank you," the redhead gracefully thanked her and lightly blew on the hot chocolate. He raised it to his lips and took a sip, savoring the warmth and flavor.

There was a nervous silence, both parties unsure of what to say next. The two sat drinking their cocoa, both wondering which one would break the silence first.

It was Kurama who ended up interuptting that quiet. "I am truly sorry, Amanda," he said in a near whisper, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I know you're upset with me, but I would like to be considered as someone you can trust. Perhaps not friends, but..." he let his voice drift, leaving the sentence hanging in midair.

Amanda did not miss the hopeful tone in his voice, and she sighed, "Alright, here's the deal. It's not that I hate you or anything," she said surely, "that thing that happened earlier just kind of caught me by surprise is all. I'm willing to forgive and forget if you are. So... are you?"

A small smile touched Kurama's lips as he answered softly, "Yes, I am."

"Okay, then, shake on it," Amanda said and held out her hand to him.

The redhead gently slid his hand into hers, and with that, they shook on it. Just as Amanda was about to pull her hand away, Kurama swiftly brought her hand to his lips, tenderly kissing the top of the wolf's hand.

Amanda's cheeks flushed a light red. "You're pushing it, buddy," she warned and scowled at teh redhead, who chuckled and released her hand nodding.

He stood to his feet and bowed slightly to Amanda. "Good night," he said and started to his room, stopping at the door to smile at her over his shoulder and add, "and thank you." He then left the room, feeling better than he had earlier, and he was sure he would get some rest that night now that all was settled between him and the wolf.

Amanda rolled her eyes and remained at the table to finish her hot chocolate. After she was done, she rinsed hers and Kurama's mugs out and headed for her room. She yawned as she walked out of the kitchen, turning the light off as she went, and started off down the hall.

"Hm?" Amanda noticed that the door to Hiei's room was open a little. She idly wondered if he had seen Danielle before bed. It couldn't hurt to peek in and see if he's still awake, could it? The door was open, after all, just inviting her to take a quick look. She popped her head through the small opening and waited for a second for her eyes to adjust good enough to see to the bed, and when she looked at the bed, she giggled silently.

Danielle was being hugged in Hiei's arms, and Hiei was softly running his fingers through the kitsune's hair. "Hey," he whispered suddenly, not looking up but knowing Amanda was there.

"Hey," Amanda replied back in a quiet whisper and slid into the room, padding silently over to the bed. "So, she came by to tell you she was okay after all, hm?" Hiei nodded and smirked up at Amanda.

"I somehow knew she would," Hiei muttered and kissed the top of the sleeping kitsune's head.

"Well, I can tell she's really happy being with you, but remember what I said earlier. If you ever hurt her, you're going to pay," Amanda said in a warning sort of tone, then she kneeled down and swept some of Danielle's hair out of her face. "Take good care of her," the wolf whispered to Hiei, who nodded. "Night," she grinned and left the room, sliding the door shut behind her, a dreamy smile on her face. "Where is my Mr. Right? He can't hide forever," she chuckled to herself and headed for her room.

When she entered into her room, she found a single red rose sitting on her pillow. A small smile flitted over her face as she picked up the delicate flower and sniffed it. "What's that fox up to?" she chortled as she lay down and pulled the covers over her, setting the rose on the floor beside her head and falling asleep.

* * *

Kyla: Okay, not as long as the last chapter, but hey! Two updates in.. what? Less than 24 hours? I think it is! Yay! Go me!  
Hiei: You annoy me. -glares-  
Kyla: Well, you annoy me, too, so we're even. -glares back-  
Kura: Don't you two ever get tired of arguing?  
Hiei and Kyla: No.  
Kura: -sweatdrops and sighs-  
Kyla: Okay, readers, you know the drill! Get your mouses ready... On your mark... get set... REVIEW!  
Hiei: That was so stupid.  
Kyla: -bonks Hiei on the head- Shut it, Shrimp.  
Hiei: Who're you calling a shrimp, Small Fry?  
Kyla: Small Fry! Why I oughta!  
Hiei: Oughta what?  
Kura: -gives stern glare at Kyla to stop arguing-  
Kyla: I oughta... end the chapter! See you guys next chapter!  
Kura: -nods- Sayonara, minna-san!  
Kyla: Bye!  
Hiei: Hn. 


	16. Waitressing in Makai

Kyla: I know.. it's been a LONG time since I last updated, but.. I hope this chapter is long enough to apologize?  
Hiei: Arg.. You're back again? I thought you had quit this story! Finally..  
Kyla: What? Quit the story? No way!  
Hiei: -groans-  
Kura: Welcome back to the world of writing fanfiction, Kyla.  
Kyla: -laughs- Thanks, Kura! Glad to be back!  
Hiei: -grunts-  
Kyla: Ahem, disclaimer!  
Kura: Oh yes, Kyla does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, no matter how much she wishes it.  
Kyla: -sighs- Yepp.. Anyways, on to the chapter!  
Hiei: Wait! How come I couldn't do the disclaimer?  
Kyla: -groans-

* * *

The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Sixteen  
Waitressing in Makai  
by  
Kyla

The next morning dawned, and Danielle awoke with a yawn and slowly sat up, looking around as if trying to figure out where she was. "Morning," a voice muttered, and she felt two warm arms slide around her and a soft kiss being placed on her cheek.

"Morning," she replied groggily, a smile on her face, and leaned against Hiei with a sigh of content.

"Koenma wants us to leave for Makai as soon as possible," Hiei stated after a few minutes' silence.

Danielle groaned, "Fine.. but you had better not let any of those low-level demons put a hand on me," she warned, eyes narrowed.

"Hn," Hiei said, and the kitsune took it as a yes, used to the fire demon's usual answer.

There was then a knock on the door, and Danielle called for whoever it was to come on. Amanda slid the door open and poked her head in, "Good morning! Breakfast's ready!" She grinned and bound into the room saying, "Ah, come on, you two are still in bed? It's already 9 a.m.! Up and at'em!" She clapped her hands, and tried to hurry them up.

Danielle laughed, "Okay, okay, Amanda, we're up now, chill!" She ushered Amanda out of the room, telling the wolf that they'd meet her back in the kitchen in a few minutes, then Danielle pecked Hiei on the cheek and headed off to get a shower and get dressed while Hiei got up and ready.

A few minutes later, Danielle walked into the kitchen to see everyone chowing down on their breakfast. She snagged a seat next to Amanda and started eating. "Ready for the mission?" Danielle asked the wolf conversationally while Yusuke and Kuwabara had a drinking contest to see who could drink the most tea before having to run off to the bathroom.

"Not really," Amanda sighed, "but we have to do it, don't we?" She fiddled with the rest of food on her plate.

"Well, I could probably handle it by myself if you don't want to go," Danielle offered. She hated having her friend do something she didn't want to do.

"And let you go there without me! With all those demons? No way! I'm going with you and that's that!" Amanda exclaimed in determination then began eating again with more vigor.

"Alright then," Danielle giggled.

Once the two were finished with their breakfast, they met up with Kurama and Hiei, who had been discussing something with Koenma previous to the girls' arrival in the prince's office. "We're here!" Danielle exclaimed cheerily as she and Amanda entered side by side.

"And in our disguises," Amanda added grudgingly in a mutter.

"You're ready then?" Koenma asked looking to the two demonesses.

"No duh," Amanda growled, "we're here aren't we? Let's just get this over with..."

Koenma nodded. "Very well. You will go through this portal," he said and a portal appeared on the opposite side of the room from the two girls, "and be transported directly to the office of the pub. There you will meet the pub's owner. Think of this as a job interview."

Amanda and Danielle were uneasy, but they nodded in understanding. Danielle glanced at Kurama and Hiei out of the corner of her eye, as if wondering how the guys would get there, and Koenma answered her unspoken question by saying, "Hiei and Kurama will travel through a hole in the Kekai and enter into the pub like customers. They should be there by the time you start waitressing in a little while."

"You seem pretty confident that we'll do well in the 'interview'," Amanda noted, eyes narrowed a little.

"After he gets a look at you two, it won't matter what you tell him," Koenma shrugged as he replied.

"Oh, that makes us feel better," Amanda snarled, fists clenched.

"Don't worry," Kurama assured them, "Hiei and I will be there and won't let anything happen."

Amanda sighed, "Fine, whatever. Let's just get this show on the road..."

Danielle rolled her eyes, "Relax, Amanda. Even if the owner tries to pull something on us, we can take care of him. He can't take us both on at once," she said to calm her friend.

"This is true," Amanda grinned thoughtfully then laughed, "Okay! What're we standing around here for? Move it, Danielle!" She grabbed Danielle's arm and pulled her over to the portal, "See you later," the wolf spoke over her shoulder, and Danielle waved. Then the two vanished as they hopped into the portal.

"Amanda, school your anger... Just act and play along, alright?" Danielle told her friend and had a serious look on her face.

"Gotcha," Amanda replied with a grin.

The two reached the other side and landed gracefully in a small office reeking of alcohol and cigarette smoke. They looked around, forcing themselves not to make any disgusted faces, and were greeted by a tall demon with long locks of dark hair. He had a cigarette hanging from his lips, and he turned his eery, probing orange eyes on them. "Are you two here for the waitressing positions?" he inquired suddenly.

"Yes, sir, we are," Danielle answered politely and grinned ferally at him. She subtely sent Amanda a look that told the wolf to let the kitsune do all the talking, and Amanda wisely shut her trap, only nodding and smiling at the owner.

"Hm," the demon mumbled thoughtfully and rose from his desk, making his way over to the girls. He sucked on his cigarette and examined each of them, circling the two girls like a scavenger. He came to stand in front of Danielle and tipped her head up with his clawed hands, getting a better angle and looking into her eyes. Then he moved over to Amanda and did the same.

Amanda couldn't see how Danielle stayed so calm while this demon was right in front of her, his eyes roaming her as if she was a juicy steak, but the wolf gritted her teeth and acted indifferent like her friend had.

"What are your names?" the owner asked as he propped himself on his desk and taking a drag of his cigarette.

"I'm Elly, and my companion is Ayame," Danielle said silkily and bowed, sending Amanda a subtle glance as a signal for Amanda to nod and bow as well, and Amanda did as her friend suggested, fully trusting Danielle.

"Does your companion not speak?" the demon snapped irritably, regarding Amanda with some doubt, and the wolf noticed Danielle's eyes flash as the kitsune began frantically thinking of something to say.

"She does, sir," Danielle answered and said no more.

"She hasn't said a single word since she arrived," the owner observed and glowered at the wolf, who was inwardly seething. "When does she speak?"

"Whenever you want her to. Just ask her a question," Danielle stated. She couldn't look over at Amanda, but the wolf demoness knew that Danielle wanted her to answer the next thing that came out of the owner's mouth.

The demon nodded and turned to Amanda, whose muscles tensed slightly. She may have been a demon, but her parents had taken her from this world, so she had no idea how to handle a situation like this. From the way Danielle had been answering questions though, the wolf thought she could do this. Then, the pub's owner asked, "How old are you?"

"I am 117," Amanda answered smoothly. Okay, so she had fudged it a little... She was really only 17 human years, but human years and demon years were so different... She really wasn't sure how demon years worked, seeing as she and her parents lived as humans for such a while. But, she figured to be under a hundred for a demon might still be considered a toddler or something, and apparently from the relieved look on Danielle's face, her answer had been acceptable.

"Alright, you two have the job," the demon said and waved his hand, "I see you are already in uniform, as is required for these interviews, so you can get straight to work. Go downstairs and into the pub, tell the bartender and he'll get you started."

"Yes, sir," the two girls replied in unison and made their way out of the office. Once they were in the hallway and the office's door was closed, Danielle heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well, we got past one part," the kitsune said brightly and patted her friend on the back.

"Yeah, but the worst part is yet to come," Amanda muttered glumly.

"It's okay," Danielle told the wolf, "I'll bet Hiei and Kura are downstairs waiting. Don't worry!" The kitsuen grinned at Amanda, and the two headed downstairs. They pushed open an old wooden door and found themselves in a dimly lit room, demons guffawing over something stupid while they chugged some alocoholic beverage or another. Danielle and Amanda's noses wrinkled slightly in disgust at the smells that bombarded them, but they smoothed out their expressions and strutted over to the bar.

"Hey," Danielle said to a serpent demon behind the bar,"you the bartender?"

The serpent looked to them and nodded, "Yesss, are you tttthe two new waitressessss?" He looked them over greedily, and waited on them to answer yes, then he sent them off to start doing their jobs instead of standing around doing nothing.

"Amanda, take those tables over there," Danielle said and pointed over to the opposite side of the bar, "and I'll handle these others, okay?"

"Sure," Amanda replied and made her way over to the other side of the pub, swinging her hips and plastering a fake flirty smile on her face.

Danielle then headed over to a table. "Hello, boys," she greeted them with a smile, "can I help you?" The demons' eyes roamed her body hungrily, and she began to feel uncomfortable, but she didn't let it show. She took their orders and said, "I'll be right back!" She winked at them and headed off for the bar, seeing Amanda out of the corner of her eye to check on her. The wolf demoness was doing good, so Danielle decided she would be fine for the time being, but the kitsune was getting antsy that she hadn't seen Hiei and Kurama yet. Biting her lip softly, she glanced aroudn once more then was handed a tray of drinks. So, she left to give out the drinks to the demons who had ordered them.

Amanda came over after a few minutes and whispered into Danielle's ear, "Hiei and Kurama are on the other side of the pub in the corner.."

"Thanks," Danielle uttered back then swung away from the bar with more drinks. After she delivered those, she made her way over to the opposite side of the pub. When she saw the yoko and the fire demon sitting at a table in the corner, she nearly sighed aloud in relief for about the third time that day, but she acted casually. She just wanted to let them know that her and Amanda were fine so far.

And, so it went that Danielle and Amanda would try to stop by Hiei and Kurama's table every now and then to check in, and by the time the two girls' shifts had ended, they were exhausted.. Hey! Having to make oneself flirt with the demons that got drunk there at the pub could tire anyone out! They met the two guys outside, and Danielle pretty much collapsed into Hiei's arms with a moan, "I'm exhausted..."

Hiei frowned and carefully swept Danielle off her feet. He was worried about her, and he felt ashamed of himself because while he and Kurama had been in the pub during the girls' shifts, the fire demon had been increasingly jealous when he saw Danielle flirt with some low-level scum, but then he noted the disgust in her eyes after she had walked off and felt bad. "You're off now, so just rest," he said quietly, and in response, Danielle cuddled into his embrace, making the fire demon's lips turn upwards in a small smile.

"How are you holding up?" Kurama asked Amanda, who was smiling at Hiei and Danielle.

"I'm fine. Tired, but fine... Can we go back home now?" Amanda asked with a yawn and stretched her arms over her head.

"Certainly," Kurama said, "we have to go back through the hole in the Kekai, so we should get going."

Amanda groaned, "Why can't we just poof back to the temple?" She was tired, and when she was tired, sometimes funny stuff would find its way out of her mouth.

"We're not magicians," Hiei said and rolled his eyes, Danielle half-awake in his arms, while Kurama chuckled.

Amanda's face grew red in an embarrassed blush. "Well, no duh we're not magicians, Shrimp! But.. what I meant to say was, can't we tak a portal or something back?" She stammered to explain what she had meant.

"Afriad not," Kurama answered this time, "You seem tired. Would you like me to carry you?" His offer was genuinely sincere. He saw how she was almost falling asleep walking. Her eyes kept falling shut for longer periods of time, and she had already stumbled a few times. He could tell the two demonesses weren't used to working from 1 in the afternoon to 3 a.m.

Amanda scowled at him and replied stubbornly, "No chance." She tromped on, ignoring the yoko, who sighed and fell silent.

The four finally returned to the temple, and immediately went to bed. Hiei and Kurama weren't nearly as tired as Danielle or Amanda, so they put the two girls to bed then went to inform Koenma how the first day had gone. Still no new information on the one resposible for the dimensional tears... Hiei and Kurama then returned to the temple and went to bed as well. Hiei idly wondered why Danielle seemed to be so much more exhausted than Amanda, but nothing of an answer bothered to jump out for him, so he sighed and decided to think about it some other time.

* * *

Kyla: Whatchoo think? Was it okay? I'm half asleep right now, so... yeah, lol.  
Hiei: It was aweful, but at least you didn't make me too sappy this time...  
Kyla: -smiles brightly- Yay! He's actually praising me! I think...  
Kura: -laughs- Well, you should get to bed and get some sleep.  
Kyla: M... sleep sounds so good... But you know what sounds even better?  
Hiei: Hn.  
Kura: What?  
Kyla: REVIEWS! So, readers, please drop a review. xD  
Hiei: Hn. Go to bed, Onna.  
Kyla: -pouts- Fine. 


	17. What's wrong?

Kyla: Kinda short, but I was anxious to updat, lol. xD  
Hiei: -reads through chapter- -growls- You're making me sappy again...  
Kyla: Um.. n-no I'm not! -sweatdrops-  
Hiei: -eyebrow twitches- Hn. -ignores Kyla-  
Kyla: -rolls eyes- So childish...  
Kura: Sorry I'm late.. I had something to do.  
Kyla: That's alright! You're just in time to do the disclaimer! -grins-  
Kura: -nods- Very well. Kyla does not own Yu Yu Hakusho; if she did, Hiei and I wouldn't be single at the end of the series. We'd be married with children probably...  
Kyla: -giggles- Well, you two are just too cute to not wind up with someone!  
Hiei: Hn.  
Kyla: Okay, onto the chapter!

* * *

The Return of a Legend  
Chapter 17  
"What's wrong?"  
by  
Kyla

Amanda woke up at around 11:30 that morning and drug herself into the kitchen to grab a bowl of cereal. "Is Danielle still asleep?" she yawned and propped herself on the counter to face Genkai, Yukina, and Hiei.

"Yes, we couldn't even wake her up earlier for some breakfast," Genkai stated flatly and sipped on her tea.

Amanda frowned. It wasn't like Danielle to sleep later than her... Something was wrong, but Amanda didn't know. Maybe someone else did? "Hey, do any of you know what's wrong with Danielle?"

"What do you mean?" Yukina asked, clearly having no idea.

"She seems more tired than usual.. She never sleeps later than me, no matter when she goes to bed," Amanda explained, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Something's wrong, but I don't know what," Hiei muttered from his place standing by the window, eyes staring off into the distance.

Genkai sighed, "Why don't you just ask her what's wrong?"

With a roll of her eyes, Amanda replied, "Because it's Danielle. She won't tell us if Something is wrong..."

"I'll find out," Hiei suddenly said and flitted away.

Owlishly, Amanda blinked then sighed, "I'm never going to get used to that guy..."

Meanwhile, Hiei knocked on Danielle's door, and when he received no reply, he slid the door opened and peeked inside. "Hn?" Confused, he stepped fully into the room and flicked on the light. The room revealed an empty bed, the kitsune's fading scent, and no sign of Danielle. With furrowed brows, he walked over to the window to look around outside. He suddenly caught her scent and went in search of the kitsune.

As he sped through the forest, he glimpsed Danielle out of the corner of his eye and slowed down to hide behind a tree and observe what she was doing. He became really confused at what he saw. There was a portal there that shouldn't be, and Danielle was fighting off an elemental demon. He noted how tired Danielle seemed, even after a few hours of good sleep. The elemental was definitely weaker than Danielle, but without energy, the kitsune was faring badly.

Hiei was just about to intervene when Danielle, with a burst of energy, was able to knock the demon elemental back into the portal. Then, she hummed in concentration, and the portal closed itself while she slumped against a nearby tree. "Man, stupid dimensional portals," she grumbled exhausted.

"Are you alright?" Hiei asked, immediately at her side, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hiei," Danielle gasped, staring up into the fire demon's crimson eyes in surprise.

"What's going on?" Hiei inquired, eyes narrowed as his grip on her tightened slightly.

"Um, n-nothing," Danielle tried giving him her brightest smile. She should have know better than to lie, though. Hiei could always tell when she was lying...

"That's a lie... Tell me," the fire demon demanded, scowling at the kitsune, who fidgeted nervously.

With a sigh, Danielle caved, "Fine... Can we talk after I get something to eat? I'm starving," she whined. As if to prove her point, her stomach chose that moment to let out a loud, angry growl, demanding food.

Hiei's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but he sighed, and the two headed off back to the temple. They sat down in the kitchen. Hiei waited silently while Danielle munched on a turkey sandwich. He stayed so he could make sure he could get whatever was wrong out of Danielle before she had to go back to "work."

"Yum, that was good," Danielle exclaimed happily and leaned back in her chair with a content smile.

"Hn, now talk," Hiei ordered, making sure Danielle didn't try to get out of telling him whatever it was that was wrong with her.

The smile on the kitsune's face fell away, and she soughed heavily. "Alright, well.. You see... hm, where to start..." she babbled on and on, and Hiei's eyes narrowed; she was trying to avoid the subject.

"Start with what's wrong," Hiei growled, getting annoyed at how the kitsune was acting. He was aggravated because she seemed to not trust anyone enough to tell them what was wrong. She hadn't told him; she hadn't even told her best friend or Kurama—who was like an older brother to her!

Danielle sent Hiei a glare before she took a deep breath and averted her gaze to the tabletop. "Well, I'm a dimensional kitsune, am I not?" she asked then continued when she received a nod in reply, "Okay, well, you see.. The truth is.. that all those dimensional rips that have been appearing?" She fell silent and looked to Hiei, who nodded then froze.

"You can somehow.. feel them, can't you?" Hiei murmured, surprised. When Danielle answered with a nod of her head, he sighed, "And that's why you've been so exhausted since you arrived in this dimension, right?" After another guilty nod, he added, "They eat up your energy... is that it?" There was another nod, and he scooted his chair back to get up and walk over to her, wrapping her up in his embrace. He buried his face in her silky locks of hair. "Why didn't you tell me? If not me, then why not Amanda? Or Kurama? Why keep it secret?" he whispered into her hair.

Danielle sniffled, "I, I didn't want to worry anyone... I figured I could handle it on my own..." Her voice quivered slightly, however, as she spoke. Then, she turned around in Hiei's arms and hid her face in his chest, sobbing lightly. "I'm sorry... I just... I just... Sorry," she apologized, crying into his shoulder.

"It's fine," he mumbled and hugged her close. "but tell me whenever you get really weak. I'll help you," he told her.

"Thanks," she said into the fabric of his shirt and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. "Hiei?" she spoke after a short silence, and when she knew she had the fire demon's attention, she grinned and looked up at him to say, "I love you."

Hiei smirked, "Hn. Love you, too, onna," he replied and gently kissed her on her forehead. "Come on, you only have a little while until we leave. You need to get ready. I'll tell Kurama and the wolf what's going on while you do that..."

Danielle answered, "Okay," and pulled out of Hiei's arms to leave the kitchen and head for her room to get cleaned up and changed. Meanwhile, Hiei searched out Kurama and Amanda and relayed what Danielle had said to them.

* * *

Kyla: So yeah, um... there ya go!  
Hiei: -snorts- You're so articulate.  
Kyla: -glares- I thought you were ignoring me.  
Hiei: I was, but I couldn't pass up such a perfect time for an insult. -smirks-  
Kyla: -groans- Jeez...  
Kura: I see you two are getting along as always... heh.  
Kyla: Oh yeah, most definitely.. -sarcascm- -grins- Anyways, don't forget to... Review!  
Kura: Yes, she really enjoys getting reviews.  
Hiei: Hn. 


	18. Rumiko who?

Kyla: Chapter 18, here we are! Enjoy! Sorry for the long wait...

* * *

The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Eighteen  
by  
Kyla

Soon it was time for Amanda and Danielle to head off to work, and as the two made their way to the pub, the wolf groaned, "Joy.. more flirting with low-life scum..."

"I know," Danielle sighed, "I'm getting tired of being nice to all those sickening demons... Hopefully we'll get information on those dimensional rips soon..."

They found themselves in front of the pub before either of them were ready. So, the duo took identical deep breaths then plastered fake, flirty smiles on their face and entered into the building. As they rushed around taking orders, Hiei and Kurama arrived and sat at a table in the far back corner, watching the two demonesses carefully.

"Hey, boys," Amanda grinned as she waltzed over to a table of five lizard demons, "what can I do you for?" She took their orders and winked at them before swaggering off to fill their orders. She mentally congratulated herself on being able to act like she had been, but it didn't mean she had to like acting this way.

As Danielle was filling some demons' drinks, she carefully eavesdropped over everything they said, not letting her face show any sign that she heard them. "Oi, you know that Rumiko has some new creatures in?" one asked his three companions.

"Really? What kind?" one of the companions asked eagerly, an ugly grin on his pale green face.

"He has new species from other dimensions, some weird kind of half horse half human creatures. Think he called 'em, er... Centaurs," the fire master who had brought the subject up said, "he's got plenty of 'em, and they're goin for pretty cheap."

Danielle's curiosity peaked. Could this have been the kind of information they had been waiting on? Carefully, she slowed down on filling their drinks so she could dawdle around longer to hear more of their conversation.

"Hm, might be worth going to check it out," the third demon, a wind master muttered with a smirk, and as Danielle was about to walk off, he grabbed her braided hair and pulled her back so she fell into his lap. His arm immediately wound around her waist, and his other hand started playing with her some. "Do you think Rumiko has any lovelies like this one?" he asked hopefully.

All Danielle could do was start to flirt shamelessly with the demon. She flashed him a wide grin and started drawing little circles on his chest. "What are you talking about?" she purred quietly.

"Haha, nothing, Babe. We're just thinking about going slave shopping. Would you like to join us?" he asked, looking to his companions, who all grinned back at him and nodded eagerly.

Danielle's mind raced. She should say yes and go check this place out. It could be a possibility. This Rumiko sounds like the one who was the cause of the dimensional rips, but if she did go, she'd have to get away and tell Amanda, Kurama, and Hiei. "Sure," she told the demon with a faux smile, "just let me go tell my boss, and I'll be right back." She slid from his lap, ignoring his groping hands, and winked at him before making a beeline for the counter.

While the four demons weren't looking, she ducked behind a crowd of demons leaving and grabbed Amanda's arm, pulling the wolf over to Kurama and Hiei's table. "I think I've got something," Danielle hissed quietly, and the three huddled around her and listened, "There's a trio of demons over there talking about someone named Rumiko who's been selling some creatures from other dimensions... One of them asked me if I want to go, so I'm going to do that. Hiei, you follow after us, alright? Amanda, stay here and finish your shift, and Kurama will wait here until you get off, but I figured this is the best lead we've had so far... Okay?"

"Wow, you're good, Dani," Amanda mumbled grinning, then she turned serious, "That sounds good, but you had better be careful. And we'll see you back at the temple, right?"

Danielle nodded, "Yeah, this is just an information mission. Hiei and I are only going to get some information on this Rumiko..."

"Alright, be careful," Kurama warned in worry, but he couldn't stop her. If Danielle wanted to go, she wouldn't let anyone talk her out of doing it.

Danielle nodded at him with a big smile and waved off his worry. "Don't worry. That's why I'm telling Hiei to follow along behind. He can intervene if something happens," she said.

When they had everything settled, Danielle sighed and walked back over to the table. "Alright, boys, you ready?" she asked smiling at them.

"We've been ready," the wind master sneered as he and his companions stood up. Together they all exited the pub, Hiei following behind in the shadows. The wind demon wound an arm possessively around Danielle's midrift, and she made herself relax in his grip.

It took a few minutes, but they soon came upon a large building. As they entered, there were many sounds. Creatures from other dimesions were locked up in cages, some crying out for help while others seemed quiet and resigned to their fate, eyes dead and empty.

Danielle forced herself to stay calm. She hated seeing so many creatures locked up in such awful conditions. Pulling herself together, she followed the three demons to the very back of the building. There, leaning against the wall, was a dimensional kitsune, his silver hair cascading down to his shoulders as his brilliant crimson eyes watched the group of demons approach.

"You Rumiko?" the wind master, who had a possessive hold on Danielle, asked and eyed the man with bright green ears and a long tail.

"It depends," the silver-haired kitsune purred, his gaze flicking over Danielle, sending a chill up the girl's spine as one of Kiten's memories flew through her mind's eye. He could tell she was a dimensional kitsune as well, and that interested him, though he didn't know she was Kiten.

Oh, the two knew one another, yes. Rumiko and Kiten go way back. They knew one another before Kiten decided to stay in another dimension. The two used to be quite close, and Danielle could feel all of Kiten's thoughts and feelings about the other kitsune. Danielle just wanted to break down crying, to be both angry and sad. A bitter feeling ran through her, but she acted as if she was fine. She didn't want Rumiko to get suspicious.

The three demons Danielle had met at the pub chatted with Rumiko, talking about what they might be interested in purchasing. She was ready to get out of there, but she couldn't just up and leave without an excuse. It would make things too suspicious. So, she stuck it out until the demons were ready to leave. When the trio decided they were through, the wind master had grabbed Danielle again and was heading out the door, but Rumiko called Danielle back. Tense and cautious, she gave the wind master and his companions a fake smile and talked back over to Rumiko. He hadn't remembered who she was, had he?

Danielle could feel Hiei close by though, and that made her feel better. Hiei would intervene if something was to go wrong. So, she forced herself to calm down and speak. "Yes?" she asked coolly.

"I have not seen another dimensional kitsune for quite a while. It's nice to find a kindred spirit," Rumiko grinned as he moved closer to her, making her uncomfortable.

"Oh, so you know that I am a dimensional kitsune then?" Danielle asked, faking a smile. She wanted to hurry this conversation and leave, to get away from this demon as fast as she could.

"Of course," Rumiko replied, "we carry a different scent than other types of kitsune. It comes from our power of traveling through the dimensions."

"Makes sense," Danielle muttered looking thoughtful. She'd never really thought twice about it, but now she did notice that his scent had seemed quite different than any other scent she had ever smelled. "So, is that all you wanted? Because I have other engagements," she added as politely as she could.

"Oh, yes, I just wanted to chat. It's been a while. I haven't seen a fellow dimensional kitsune for many many years. Perhaps you would like to visit again when you are not so busy?"

Danielle pondered the possibilities. On the one hand, she would hate to come see him and feel all these feelings rising up in her, but on the other hand, she could find out more about the mysterious dimensional rips. "Maybe," she replied with a small smile, "I'll have to check my schedule."

Rumiko nodded. "I'm here most of the time, unless I'm off in other dimensions, but you can leave a note or something," he said eying Danielle with interest.

"Right," Danielle responded and started walking out of the building. She exhaled deeply when she was a few miles away. Leaning against a tree, she rubbed a hand over her tired face and said, "Hiei? Are you there?"

There was a soft whoosh, and Hiei pulled Danielle into his arms. "Yeah, I'm here... Let's go back to the temple. I'm sure you're tired."

Danielle nodded into Hiei's chest then pulled away from him and started walking, the fire demon falling into step beside her. He could tell she was thinking about something. She seemed distant at the moment.

"He's my brother," Danielle muttered, barely above a whisper.

"What?" Hiei frowned confused.

"Well, not MY biological brother, but... Rumiko is Kiten's brother," she explained quietly, hugging her arms around herself. "Since Kiten and I are merged together as we are, I can feel the bitter sorrow. Something happened between them many years ago. Apparently, Rumiko doesn't recognize Kiten in me, but he's a dimensional kitsune as well, and it is possible that he is the one responsible for the dimensional rips in the stream."

Hiei hummed in agreement and wrapped a comforting arm around Danielle's waist. "We'll make sure to keep a close eye on him then."

Danielle gave him a small smile. "He told me I could come by and visit him anytime, so maybe I can use it to my advantage. I'll need you or one of the others to shadow me though. I don't feel comfortable around him alone. I could barely stand it today when you were just outside the building," she laughed humorlessly.

"I wouldn't have you go see him by yourself anyway. Someone will always shadow after you," Hiei promised, tightening his hold on her slightly.

So, the two returned to the temple. They gathered everyone together, and Danielle explained what they had found out about Rumiko and how he was the possible culprit for the rips in the dimensional stream.

_**((To Be Continued...))  
**_

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Kyla: Hm.. I'm not completely sure how I want this to turn out... If anyone has any ideas at all, feel free to let me know? Don't forget to review! 


	19. Wrong Person, Right Direction

Kyla: Woo-hoo! I'm getting a lot done today! After this, I'll have updated TWO of my stories! Go me!! Ha ha, anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter! Remember, I don't own any of the Yu Yu Hakusho characters... Don't forget to review either! Please?

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The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Nineteen  
Wrong Person, Right Direction  
by  
Kyla

"Hello?" Danielle called out as she entered into the building Rumiko owned. It had been three or four days since she had last been there, and she uneasily made her way past many cages. Wild and frightened beasts snapped at her and tried to fight their way out. Danielle hated seeing this... "Um, Rumiko? Hello?" she tried again. "Guess he's not here," she sighed and looked around for some paper to perhaps leave him a note.

Instead, something else caught her eye. Moving over to a cage against the very back wall, Danielle looked down at the frightened child, who looked no more than five or six years old, with sun-kissed hair and golden eyes. The boy's ears came to a slight point, and his skin was a creamy, pale color discolored with a few bruises and a split lip. "You're an elf," Danielle muttered softly.

The boy started to shiver and withdrew as far away from the bars as possible. He let out a whimper and tears started falling down his cheeks.

"Hey, sh," Danielle soothed, "it's all right, sh... I won't hurt you." She cooed until the boy's whimpers fell away and the tears stopped falling. "There you go," she spoke softly, carefully, "come here, little one." She coaxed him closer to her, not knowing that someone was watching from the shadows. "See?" she smiled down at the little elf, "I won't hurt you..."

The little boy sniffled and raised one small fist to rub at his right eye. He watched her wearily but didn't seem to feel like she would hurt him. She seemed nice enough to the boy.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Danielle asked curiously.

"My name is," the little boy paused here to sniffle again before continuing on in a quiet, exhausted voice, "Laertes..."

"Oh, that is an adorable name," Danielle giggled. "I'm Danielle." Carefully, she stuck her hand through the bars and held it palm-up to the boy, who stiffened in fear. "Nice to meet you," she added.

Laertes looked intently at the hand before cautiously extending his own hand and laying it on Danielle's. When she clasped her hand over it lightly, she felt him tense up again, but he calmed down after a moment, so she gently shook his hand up and down. She withdrew as quickly as she could to keep the boy from being too uncomfortable.

Much to her surprise, the boy looked upset again, remembering his mother before he had been taken away by Rumiko. He ran over to the bars and reached through to grab Danielle's arms tightly. Then, he started crying again.

"Aw, what's wrong, Laertes?" Danielle cooed and slid her arms in between the bars to wrap around the small boy's frame. "It's all right... Hush now, it's okay... What's wrong?"

"I miss my mother," Laertes sobbed and clung as tightly as he could to Danielle with the bars in the way.

"Oh, darling, it'll be okay, I promise," Danielle whispered reassuringly into the boy's ear. She ran fingers delicately through the elf's golden locks of hair and hushed him.

"Why, hello there," Rumiko's voice drifted from behind Danielle.

Danielle tensed and felt the little boy whimper and start to shake in fear. Slowly, she drew back from Laertes to stand up and face Rumiko. He seemed to be watching her closely. "Hello, Rumiko," Danielle greeted with a small bow.

"No need to be so formal... Kiten," Rumiko said, his face indifferent, gauging Danielle's reactions.

Danielle's gaze snapped up to meet his eyes. "What?" she asked in disbelief. "H-how did you.. how did you know?" She was suddenly on the edge, ready for anything, or she thought she had been ready for anything...

Rumiko's eyes softened, and a certain sadness settled in his eyes. "How could I not recognize my sister?" he near-whispered and stepped forward carefully. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Kiten?"

"Actually... I kind of go by Danielle nowadays," Danielle answered with a small grin. "Me and Kiten kind of - how could I put it? - bonded? Anyways, our souls merged, and now we are one and the same..."

Rumiko sighed and walked forward until he wrapped his arms around Danielle. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear, his voice sincere and soft, like from Kiten's memories of her youth.

Danielle found herself relaxing more with each moment. She returned the hug and murmured, "It's okay... It's in the past, so let's leave it there..." She understood what he was apologizing for. He was saying sorry for getting angry with her.

He had killed their abusive father they grew up with and ran her off by use of scolding words and death glares. The hurt, he knew, was horrid, but it was what he thought would be better for her. Now that he saw her standing here in front of him, he let her know how much he regretted what he had done. He had missed her, and each day he hurt, and the hurt seemed to hit its highest to hear her say she forgave him.

Rumiko hugged her tightly for another second before letting her go and stepping back. He swallowed down the tears he felt stinging his eyes. He would not let himself cry. "So, I'm guessing you've felt the dimensional rips lately too," he said, swiftly changing the subject.

Danielle wiped her eyes where a few tears had collected and smiled, "Yeah, I actually thought it might be you doing it, but something tells me I'm wrong."

"I promise you," Rumiko vowed, "I am not the one doing it... As a matter of fact, I've been trying to find out who is doing it myself. That's why I have this place," he said, gesturing around him to all the cages, "and sometimes I hear talk of others who can travel through the dimensions like us."

"I'm guessing you've not been having much luck," Danielle chuckled, "but you don't have to have a place like this... How can you stand to cage up so many creatures? They're scared to death! And look at this poor boy," she seethed and indicated behind her to the little elf.

"I knew you would be against this," Rumiko mumbled with a small sigh. "Listen, I have this place to gain information, but it's also what supports me. I'm not a great thief, so," he explained, but was suddenly cut off by an enraged Danielle.

"Oh, so it's okay to snatch little boys from their mothers and sell them?!" Danielle thundered angrily, growing furious.

"Actually, I only get the criminals of a species," Rumiko stated and held a hand up to quell Danielle's protests about Laertes. "That elf was not one I captured... He was sold to me by someone I suspect may be behind the dimensional rips. He was all bruised and beaten up that I purchased him. I brought him here, but he won't let me close enough to him to treat his wounds... He doesn't trust me..."

"Oh," was all Danielle could say, but soon, more words flowed from her mouth, "Well, what if I told you that you could give up this place? I could help Laertes and treat his wounds, you can come stay with me where I'm living, you can tell us who it is you think is the cause of the dimensional rips, and we can all save the day?"

Rumiko just looked at her for a moment with narrowed eyes. "I suppose," he said weakly after a moment's hesitation. This was his sister though, he could trust her. "What do I do about all of these criminals?" he asked looking around. "Some of these are very dangerous to the rest of their species... I'm serious, Ki – I mean, Danielle."

Danielle sighed, "Fine, when do you think you could get rid of them or sell them all or whatever?"

"At most, probably a couple of days," Rumiko answered nonchalantly. "Listen, it's getting late, you should probably be heading home, wherever home is, ha ha," he chuckled and hugged Danielle. "You can go on and take the little elf with you, if you want... I would take him back home now, but I'm too weak, as I'm guessing you are as well. We need some rest before we take him home, okay?"

"All right, sounds good," Danielle nodded in agreement, a small smile on her face as she returned her brother's hug. She turned around and walked over to the cage Laertes sat in. Carefully, she opened the cage and stepped inside. "Come here, darling," she said gently and held out a hand to the small elf, "come on, I'm going to take you somewhere and take care of your cuts and bruises, okay?"

Slowly, the little boy edged closer to Danielle while the dimensional kitsune continued to coax him. He came within arm's reach of her, and she asked him if she could pick him up. With a barely noticeable nod, he tensed only some when she swept him up into her arms. "There we are," she cooed and grinned, "let's go then, Hiei is probably worried about me, ha ha."

"Hiei?" Rumiko asked coming up beside her and startling the little elf, who tightened his arms around Danielle's neck, "Who is Hiei?"

"Oh, no one really," Danielle said with a shrug, "just my boyfriend..." She grinned when she saw Rumiko bristle slightly at hearing that.

"Well, you know that I have to meet him," Rumiko stated the obvious, "and if he isn't good enough for you, I'll let you know."

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Right, well, I'll just let you in on a little something. I love him, and he loves me. Do try not to break us up... Okay? You have to get to know him, and _really_ get to know him before you make the final decision. He's a little rough around the edges, but he's really sweet deep down... Anyway, I'll come by in a couple of days, okay?" she asked.

"Yes, that sounds great," Rumiko answered with a grin. "I'll see you then. Bye, be careful on your way home," he added as Danielle nodded on her way out of the door with Laertes tucked snugly in her arms.

When Danielle was about a half a mile off, Hiei appeared beside her. This sudden appearance by a stranger terrified Laertes, and the little elf hugged Danielle tightly. "Hi, Hiei," she greeted and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hn, I send you in alone, and you come out with a child... Is there something I should know?" he smirked at her to show he was being sarcastic.

Danielle giggled and shook her head. "No, I just found this little guy in there before Rumiko got there... Oh, by the way, Rumiko and I talked. He's not the one we're looking for, but we made up, and he's getting rid of that place and coming to stay with us. He said he had a suspicion on who might be behind the dimensional rips," she said and continued on walking, humming as she went, but when she noticed Hiei wasn't behind her anymore, she turned around and saw him just standing there.

Sighing, she backtracked over to where Hiei stood and shifted Laertes around where she held him with one arm. The other hand reached out and took Hiei's hand, their fingers interlocking. "Hey, what's wrong? Aren't you happy I made up with my brother?" she inquired softly.

"Hn," he shook his head and said, "no, just a bit surprised..."

Danielle smiled. "Anyway, I told him I would come back in a couple of days and get him," she explained as they started walking again.

"Hn," Hiei replied in understanding. "So.. what's the kid's name?" he asked after a silent moment.

"Oh, his name is Laertes," Danielle said to Hiei before speaking to the elf. "Laertes, say hi to Hiei, okay? Don't worry, he won't hurt you either," she told the boy.

"Hello, H-Hiei," Laertes said in a quiet, polite voice. He acted much older than he looked, but he was an elf. It seemed they grew faster mentally, while their body's aged at a slower rate, and thus allowing them to live on for so long.

"Hey, Kid," Hiei replied in as soft a tone of voice as he could achieve without seeming too weak. He flushed a light pink when he heard Danielle laughing at him, and he scowled at her. The scowl only achieved to scare Laertes, however, and Danielle had Hiei apologize to the boy.

**_((To Be Continued...))_**

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Kyla: I know this isn't very long, and I'm sorry... I'll.. eh, attempt to make the next chapter longer, but no promises, ha ha. Anyways, I suppose I'll see you guys next chapter! Please feel free to drop a review before you go. 


	20. Little Laertes

Kyla: Okay, so, not much, plot-wise in this chapter... Sorry, ha ha. Just thought I'd go ahead and update again and then start on a new chapter where Danielle goes back to see Rumiko.. Anyways, enjoy!

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The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Twenty  
Little Laertes  
by  
Kyla

"You look about exhausted, Amanda," Danielle stated as Amanda and Kurama finally got home at around three thirty in the morning.

"Danielle," Amanada shrieked quietly, "what are you doing up? You should have been in bed hours ago," she scolded. No matter how tired she was, she had enough energy to get onto Danielle. She went to grab her friend's arm, but a small whimper from a child in the dimensional kitsune's lap caught her by surprise. "Huh?"

"It's okay, Laertes.. It's just Amanda and Kurama," Danielle said softly to the little blond in her lap then spoke to Amanda and Kurama, "Hi guys. I'd like you to meet little Laertes. He's going to be staying with us a while."

"Um, Danielle," Amanda said as she and Kurama sat down at the table with Danielle, "why do you have a kid?"

Danielle laughed, "Don't get the wrong idea. He isn't mine, but I'm going to look after him until Rumiko and I can get him home." At the looks on their faces, she quickly explained that Rumiko was her brother and that the two had made up just the day before. "So, it's all right now. I'm up at this hour cause Laertes was thirsty."

"Oh," Amanda muttered, "well, okay then... Hi there, Laertes," she said to the little elf.

"Hullo," Laertes mumbled in reply and hugged Danielle.

"Aw, he's so cute," Amanda squealed, a smile brightening up her face. "Look, Kurama, isn't he adorable?" She giggled and reached out a hand to ruffle his hair, but he whimpered and drew as far away as possible. "What?" she asked confused.

"He's frightened," Kurama said in answer to Amanda's confusion. "Is that it, little one? Are you afraid?" he asked softly, moving to kneel beside Danielle's chair. When the boy gave a shy nod, Kurama smiled at him reassuringly and said, "it's all right, we won't hurt you. We could never hurt such a cute kit like you."

Laertes sniffled and looked up at Danielle, silently asking something. When she nodded encouraging at him, he carefully slid out of the dimensional kitsune's arms and reached over to hug a slightly surprised Kurama, who cautiously hugged the boy back.

"Aw," Danielle and Amanda cooed, both grinning ear-to-ear.

"Hn," said Hiei from the doorway. "So, you two finally got back," he nodded to Amanda and Kurama in greeting before settling his gaze on Danielle and saying, "When are you coming to bed? I know you're exhausted... you've been up since nine yesterday morning."

Amanda sent a questioning glare at Danielle, silently scolding her for not getting any sleep, and Danielle sighed. "I know, Hiei, I'm sorry... I wanted to make sure Amanda and Kurama got in all right," she explained and gently took Laertes back into her arms when he reached out for her.

"Well, they're here safe and sound, so come to bed," Hiei ordered gruffly before walking out of the kitchen and leaving the room silent for another minute.

"Laertes, are you through with your hot chocolate?" Danielle asked, indicating to the cup that was half full of hot chocolate. The little elf nodded mutely and let out a small yawn before snuggling into Danielle's arms. "Okay, I guess we'll be off to bed," she said to Kurama and Amanda, "good night, guys."

"Good night," the two chorused as Danielle left for bed. The dimensional kitsune walked in to her room and walked over to her bed, where she laid down and snuggled into Hiei's warm arms.

"Hn, about time," Hiei commented in her ear. He wrapped his arms around Danielle, being careful of the little elf that was snuggled in Danielle's arms and half asleep. "Night," he added quietly and tenderly landed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Night," she replied back with a yawn. She then slipped into sleep, and her breathing evened out.

At about ten o'clock, Laertes awoke and tried to wake up Danielle, but she seemed to be too deep in slumber. He tried to wake her up a few more times, but nothing worked.

"What are you up to?" Hiei asked groggily as he sat up, gently laying Danielle comfortably on the bed. He looked at the little elf as Laertes cowered back slightly.

"I, I'm hungry," Laertes murmured, refusing to look up at the fire demon.

Hiei sighed and ran a hand over his face to wipe away some of the leftover drowsiness. "Danielle needs to sleep a little longer," he stated and slid out of the bed. He quickly changed into some day clothes and walked over to the other side of the bed. He held a hand out to Laertes and offered, "but come with me and I'll get you some breakfast..."

Laertes nodded and slid his little hand into Hiei's, sliding off the bed to land silently on his feet. The little boy walked with Hiei into the kitchen and clasped Hiei's warm hand tightly.

"Oh, hello, Hiei," Yukina said when she saw him walk in. "Are you ready for breakfast? I have some made."

"Hn, thank you," Hiei nodded at her and sat down at the table. He looked down at Laertes, who just stared right back at him. "What?" he snapped irritably. He wasn't much of a morning person.

Leartes averted his gaze to the floor and shook his head. He went over to the chair beside Hiei and tried to hoist himself up. It turned out to be too hard for him, and he whined quietly but pushed the chair back in. He looked to Hiei with pleading golden eyes, silently asking for help.

Hiei sighed but beckoned Laertes over to him. Swiftly and easily, he swept Laertes up and set the boy in his lap. "There," he said gruffly.

"Thank you," Laertes replied with a small smile on his face.

"Hn, just eat," Hiei ordered and began piling food on a plate. He set the plate down in front of Laertes, handing the elf a fork as well as getting himself a fork.

"Who is this?" Yukina asked, motioning to Laertes. She smiled sweetly at the little boy, who tensed only some. He was getting somewhat used to these people. All of Danielle's friends were nice to him, but she did seem to have quite a few friends.

"I'm L-Laertes," Laertes introduced himself, voice soft and quiet as he fidgeted slightly.

"Well, it is very nice to meet you, Laertes," Yukina replied with a kind smile.

"Oh, so, this is where you two disappeared to," Danielle yawned as she made her way into the kitchen. "Hi, Yukina," she added, sending the Ice Maiden a smile. Then, she walked over and pecked Hiei on the cheek and sat in the chair beside him. "Aw, isn't that cute?" she giggled at the sight of Laertes sitting in Hiei's lap.

Hiei's cheeks turned a light pink in a blush. He scowled at her and said, "Shut up. Why didn't you stay in bed? You needed to sleep longer."

"Well, you guys woke me up getting out of bed," Danielle shrugged, grabbing a plate to eat some breakfast. "I tried to go back to sleep, but I just couldn't," she explained, stifling another yawn, "I'll be fine after I get some caffeine in my system."

"Fine," Hiei grunted and let the subject drop..

Danielle stretched after eating and getting some caffeine. Standing up, she took Laertes, and they set off to give the little elf a bath. Hiei couldn't help but scowl as Danielle walked out.

"What's wrong?" Yukina asked, noticing the look Hiei gave Danielle.

"Nothing."

"Oh? Well, all right, if you say so," Yukina sighed, "I'll be out in the garden if you need me." With that, she left Hiei to sit there seething.

"What's wrong, Hiei?" Kurama asked, entering into the kitchen for some food. He noticed the look on the fire demon's face and immediately knew it was jealousy. When Hiei refused to admit it, Kurama rolled his eyes and sat down at the table. "You're jealous, Hiei," he chuckled.

"Jealous?" Hiei snorted, "And just what do I have to be jealous of?"

"Laertes," Kurama answered simply.

"Why would I be jealous of that kid?" Hiei snapped, sending a glare at the redhead.

"Because Danielle is spending so much time with him. You can't take up as much of her time as your used to," Kurama explained patiently, knowing that Hiei was about to blow up at him.

"You're wrong," Hiei responded quickly. He refused to believe that he was jealous of a kid.

"You know I'm right, Hiei, deep down," Kurama said wisely before starting to eat. He fell silent and let Hiei think about what he had said. "Anyway," the redhead said after a few minutes of silence, "Laertes won't be here long. Danielle talked about taking him home in a couple of days."

"Hn."

Kurama left Hiei to sulk. On his way down the hall, he heard Amanda groaning to Danielle about not wanting to go to work that night. "If you don't want to go, then don't," Kurama said entering into the living room to find Danielle and Amanda sitting on the couch while Laertes sat in Amanda's lap.

"Well," Danielle looked thoughtful, "we probably could quit... Rumiko has a suspect he told me about, and it's not like we gained too much information by waitressing there... Besides, I'm getting tired of flirting with those stupid demons, too..." A scowl passed over her face in disgust, then she looked over to Amanda as the wolf agreed with her. "I'll go ask Koenma if it would be possible for us to go ahead and quit... Can you guys watch Laertes?"

"Sure," Kurama nodded with a smile and sat down where Danielle had previously been sitting. "We can handle him, don't worry."

Amanda glowered at Kurama with narrowed eyes. "Yeah, don't worry, Danielle, we can watch him... Hurry back."

Danielle rolled her eyes and headed out to talk to Koenma, leaving Kurama and Amanda to watch the young elf. "So," Amanda said, her voice trailing off uncomfortably as she shifted some in her seat, hugging Laertes snugly.

"Am I easier to stand now?" Kurama asked grinning at Amanda.

"Hmph, well, yeah, but only because you've been going to the pub to watch over me and Danielle," Amanda muttered. She averted her gaze away from the redhead and watched the floor rather intently.

Kurama sighed, "You don't have to be so on edge around me... I'm not going to jump you, I promise." He watched her shift some more in her seat. "All right, I suppose I'll be going then," he muttered and moved to stand up.

"Wait," Amanda said suddenly. When Kurama paused and looked at her, she sighed, "It's.. fine. You don't have to go... We could, you know, just talk some."

Kurama grinned and settled back down beside her. "Sure, talking sounds interesting. So, what shall we talk about?" he inquired politely.

"How should I know?" Amanda snapped, sending a small glare to the redhead. Outside, a small thunderstorm was brewing, and when a sudden bolt of lightning split across the sky shortly followed by the thunder, Laertes whimpered and jumped in fright. "Oh, sh, Laertes, it's okay... just a storm," Amanda spoke as she rocked him some.

Kurama scooted over some to speak to Laertes, "It's all right, little one, the thunder and lightning won't hurt you... How about we do something to get your mind off of the storm, hm? What about a movie?" Laertes gave a shy nod and clung to Amanda while Kurama stood up and moved over to the television to put on a kid's movie before returning to sit beside Amanda and Laertes. While Laertes watched the movie, Amanda and Kurama talked about various things that came to mind until Danielle returned a few minutes later to join them in watching the movie.

**_((To Be Continued...))_**

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Kyla: Well... All right, I hope this turns out good. I'll try to get more into the plot in the next chapter...! Oh, and I got the name Laertes from _Hamlet _when we read in my english class. Anyway, don't forget to review! 


	21. Overcoming Jealousy

Kyla: All right, a reviewer brought to my attention something at the very end of the chapter... I was working simultaneously on another story that I cowrite with two of my friends, so Takara is the OC that ends up with Kurama in the cowritten stories The Slyest Thieves and Deviously Diverted, so sorry for any confusion.. '' This is edited for that error now, haha.

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The Return of a Legend  
Chapter Twenty One  
Overcoming Jealousy  
By  
Kyla

Hiei walked through the temple in search of Danielle. He looked until he found her with Kurama, Amanda, and Laertes, of course, in the den watching a movie. The fire demon walked over without a word and perched himself beside his girlfriend, drawing her into his arms.

"Hey, Hiei," Danielle smiled up at him and snuggled into his arms. "I talked to Koenma about quitting that pub... Since we have a suspect now," she whispered to him so as not to disturb the others from the movie.

"Good, maybe now you can get some sleep," Hiei scowled in concern. "We should go on to bed," he added softly, "you need as much rest as possible if you're going to be traveling through dimensions in a few days."

"I know," she murmured and tucked her face into the crook of his neck. "All right.. let's go..." Then, in a louder voice, she sat up and pulled out of Hiei's embrace as the two stood up. "Well, Hiei and I are headed off to bed."

"Would you two mind," Hiei asked awkwardly, surprising both Amanda and Kurama, "... watching Laertes? I need some time alone with Danielle..." He looked away with a glare and slammed his hands deep into his pockets. He felt encouraged when the dimensional kitsune hooked her arm with his and smiled brightly at him.

"Sure," Kurama answered with a small smile. "Go on, we can take care of Laertes, no problem, right?" he asked Amanda, who nodded and shooed Danielle and Hiei off with a usher of "yeah, go rest!"

"Thanks, guys," Danielle replied and bent down to lightly dust a kiss over Laertes forehead. "Good night, Laertes," she murmured to the boy.

"Night, Danielle," the little boy chirped and hugged his small arms around her neck.

Hiei hmph'ed from the door, waiting on the kitsune to get through so they could go to bed. "Finally," he sighed to himself when he saw the girl approach him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and steered her from the room, nuzzling her nose and whispering, "It's about time."

"Hiei?" Danielle asked when they were out of the room, "You're not jealous of Laertes, are you?" She did not want Hiei to feel left out or ignored. Laertes was going home soon anyway. The kitsune leaned further into his embrace when she felt him tense up. "Don't get defensive," she said calmly and kissed his cheek, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean for you to get jealous. I'm just protective of Laertes, I don't know... it's weird, but I just couldn't help it. He's a sweetheart, sort of like you," she giggled, "Don't be mad, okay?"

"I can't be mad at you," Hiei sighed and pinched his nose. "I understand, but still we're not having kids for a good few years!" he exclaimed randomly as they made it to his room. He slammed his door shut and pinned Danielle to it, kissing her so deep and long that she saw stars.

"M, Hiei," she muttered against his lips, "what's the matter?"

"You're mine, onna," Hiei stated desperately and drew her into another kiss. He cupped her cheeks with his hands and moved them over to the futon in his room. The kitsune felt herself being steadily and gently lowered to the floor. She let out a gasp when Hiei began kissing at her neck, sometimes nipping or sucking here or there. "Mine," he said again quietly and rubbed her sides sensually.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Danielle giggled, "I'm yours, I get it... You go much farther though, and we may be having kids soon." She smiled up at Hiei teasingly, immediately stopping the fire demon's hands as they wandered down to the edge of her shirt. He had pulled it up a few inches and would have gone farther if the dimensional kitsune hadn't spoken up. "I'm sorry," he apologized and rolled off her, his back facing towards her in a rather cold fashion.

"No," Danielle said urgently and pulled on Hiei's shoulder. She needed him to look at her, "don't be sorry. I'm just saying... we can do some things, but you have to learn to control yourself."

"But what if I can't?" Hiei asked, and the tone of his voice sent a chill down Danielle's spine. "What if, one day, I get so jealous of something stupid that I snap and force you? I would never forgive myself..." He clenched his eyes shut tight at the thought of hurting Danielle like that.

"But you won't," Danielle assured him, gently massaging his shoulders in comfort. "You always stop when I tell you to," she whispered into his ear, "you love me... I know you would never purposefully hurt me, and I'll never purposefully hurt you. Just relax... don't worry about it. Come on, roll back over," she urged and begged until the fire demon finally gave in. She grinned and kissed the tip of his nose. "It'll be fine," she said again, as if settling the conversation.

Hiei chuckled and gathered the kitsune into his arms. "I love you," he murmured into her long hair.

"I love you too," Danielle yawned and settled in for a good night's sleep. "G'night, Hiei..."

"Good night," Hiei replied gently and listened intently until he heard her breathing even out. He threaded his fingers steadily through her hair. Sleep did not want to claim the fire demon, so he contented himself with admiring Danielle's slumbering face. He traced her lips and cupped her cheek numerous times. He petted her hair for another hour before he finally fell asleep himself.

The next morning when the fire demon woke, Danielle was humming softly to herself, stroking the hairs on the back of his neck. The tune she hummed was not one that he recognized, but he loved listening to it. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to pretend to be asleep for a little longer.

Soon, however, resentment and jealousy began to bubble up inside the short demon when he heard the door open. His nose caught the scent of an elf child wandering into the room, and he had to bite back a growl. The fingers continued to stroke his hair, despite the interruption, so he willed himself to relax, not showing any sign that he was awake.

"Did you need something, Laertes?" Danielle asked quietly, her voice drifting over Hiei and to the little boy.

"I had a bad dream," Laertes murmured, trying to swallow the sniffles he had. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, and he clutched his little fists tightly in the fabric of the borrowed, too-big t-shirt.

"Oh," Danielle said softly. She felt torn. Hiei had been feeling ignored, but then again, she couldn't just drop the boy either. Both of them trusted her. She was at a loss and did not know what to do.

"Then, come over here and tell Danielle about it," Hiei said suddenly. He sat up and wiped at his face in an attempt to remove any sign of sleep. He gave the boy a light scowl and nodded to Danielle. He knew she was torn between the two of them, and he was not going to resent her for wanting to help the boy. He was a long way from home, after all, so the fire demon decided he could survive until Laertes was taken home.

Danielle thanked Hiei with her eyes, the bright smile on her face telling him that she would make it up to him. "Yeah," she crooned at Laertes and opened her arms, "come here and tell me all about it." She cuddled the boy closely when the little elf raced into her embrace. Tears broke free, and more sniffles were soon followed by muttered words of distress. The dimensional kitsune hushed and comforted the little boy, and the whole time, Hiei could not take his eyes off the scene.

_Danielle is really good with kids_, Hiei idly thought. A small smile wormed its way onto his face while he fondly watched her. He told himself again that he was lucky to have her. He was proud she was his, and he was going to be sure no one else stole her away from him. She was not his possession, but he did feel very protective of her, and he hoped that she could tell the difference between treating her as a thing and treating her as a loved one.

"Do you feel better now, squirt?" Hiei smirked at the small elf when Danielle and Laertes began giggling.

Laertes nodded his head vigorously and smiled toothily up at Hiei. "Everyone here's so nice," he said, "thank you so much!" His statement was spoke to both demons, and he gave Danielle a big hug. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he crawled over to Hiei and snaked his small arms around Hiei's neck in a hug.

To say Hiei was surprised was an understatement, and he sat shocked, unsure what to do. Apprehension and annoyance were his next feelings as the boy did not let go as quickly as he had Danielle. The fire demon asked Danielle without words what was going on, and she mouthed at him to hug the little boy back, even going so far as to glare at him when he made a face. He ended up caving in. The boy giddily tightened his hug in response to Hiei's own arms wrapping around the little elf.

Now that he had gotten what he had wanted, Laertes released Hiei from the hug and stepped back. "I'm hungry... can we go get some breakfast?" he asked, looking from Hiei to Danielle.

"Sure," Danielle grinned and stood up. She held out her hand for Laertes to take it, swinging both hers and his arm when he did. "You coming, Hiei?" she asked, gaze settling on the fire demon sitting Indian-style upon the futon.

"Hn," Hiei replied and stood up. He nodded for her to go on ahead and then trailed after her when she and Laertes left the room in search of breakfast. Words fell from his mouth rarely because he was much more content to sit and admire Danielle and the way she was handling Laertes. She was stern when he raced ahead and knocked lightly into Yukina, making the boy apologize, but she was also kind and caring, ruffling the boy's hair and helping him into her lap to eat.

"Hiei?" Danielle asked a few hours later, "Would you mind watching Laertes while I go meet Rumiko?" She looked to the fire demon, the elf child in her arms and settled on her hip.

"I'm not letting you go alone," Hiei snapped testily, eyes narrowed in warning.

A sigh fell from the dimensional kitsune's lips. "All right, I'll go ask Amanda agian," she murmured and turned around. She left the living room and began looking for her best friend. She wandered into the kitchen and found Amanda sitting there with a cup of hot chocolate, looking thoughtful. "Amanda?" Danielle asked and sat in the chair beside her friend.

"Oh, Danielle," Amanda replied, eyes losing their pondering glaze, and looked to the kitsune. "Did you need something?" she asked and forced a smile.

"Yeah, but you first," Danielle said, knowing something was bothering the wolf demoness. She released Laertes and told him, "Go hang out with Hiei for a few minutes, okay? Tell him Amanda and me are talking." With a nod, Laertes obediently ran off, leaving Danielle and Amanda alone. "Okay, go ahead," the dimensional kitsune prompted.

"What do you mean?"

Danielle rolled her eyes and said, "I know something's up, so let's hear it!"

Amanda tried to tell her friend that nothing was wrong, that everything was just fine, but the kitsune did not waver, adamantly prying and prodding the wolf demoness for answers. "Okay," came the defeated reply once Danielle had worn the other girl down enough, "okay... the thing is... I... I like Kurama... Really like him..."

"That's great!"

Amanda gaped at Danielle and exclaimed, "No! Not great! Very bad! He's a jerk! I can't like him!"

"Why not?"

"Because he... he's...! He's just," Amanda spluttered, unable to form the words she wanted to say. Heck, she didn't even know what she wanted to say. "What if he doesn't like me back?" she asked finally, her voice meek and quiet.

"That's stupid," Danielle scoffed, "why would he not like you? Besides, I happen to know for a fact that he _does_ like you!" She smirked at the shocked expression that morphed on the other's face. "Mhm, he does! So, you should tell him!"

"I'm not going to tell him!"

A sigh. "Why not?"

"Because it's the guy that should do the work! He should tell me he likes me! He should ask me out or something!"

"What's the big idea of sending me the elf, onna?" Hiei asked from the doorway, face scrunched up in a scowl of annoyance. Attached to the fire demon's leg was none other than Laertes, giggling and holding tight to Hiei's pant leg so he would not fall off as the short-tempered demon moved around.

"I'm having a private conversation with Amanda," Danielle said coolly, not liking being interrupted, "now shoo! We're right in the middle of something! Go on, shoo!" She stood up and made shooing motions at her boyfriend as she walked closer to the doorway. "Just give us a few minutes, okay?" she asked this time, begging him with her eyes.

Hiei squirmed under the puppy-dog stare. He could never resist that look, so he was forced to give in. "All right," he sighed, "come on, squirt, let's leave the women to their talk." With that, he limped back out of sight, Laertes squealing happily from his place clutching to the fire demon's leg.

Danielle and Amanda laughed while the dimensional kitsune closed the kitchen door. She resumed her seat at the table and looked to Amanda. "All right, so he has to make the first move, in other words?" she asked. At the nod she received, she sighed, "You do realize he has been making moves on you for a while now... Most of the time when I see you or him, he's with you, talking about something or another."

Amanda had the grace to blush and focus her gaze upon the tabletop at that comment. "Yeah, I know... but if he'll make just one more move, I would act this time... I've just been.. cautious."

"Oh... well, if that's the case, then... I doubt Kurama's given up yet, so no worries."

"Give up what?" Kurama asked as he opened the door to the kitchen and stepped in. He had only caught Danielle's comment and had no idea what the two were talking about. The redhead became even more confused when Amanda blushed a bright red and kept her gaze staring at the table. Furthermore, when Danielle—_Danielle—_had the gumption to glare at him, an eyebrow rose delicately in silent curiosity. "What were you two talking about?" he asked conversationally.

"What did you hear?" Danielle asked in retaliation.

"I only heard you saying something about me not giving up yet," Kurama said, and the dimensional kitsune could see that he was being sincere. He watched suspiciously as Danielle leaned down to whisper something in Amanda's ear, but he forced himself not to pry. "All right... I just came in to get some tea," he said conversationally and set about making tea. "Do either of you want some?" he asked and set the kettle down on the eye of the stove.

"Sure, I'll take some," Amanda answered somewhat stiffly, but the smile on her face was genuine.

"Sorry, I can't... I need to go meet Rumiko," Danielle said, "which reminds me... Would either or both of you mind watching Laertes? Hiei isn't going to let me go by myself, so..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked from Amanda to Kurama.

"I can watch him," Kurama said and directed a brotherly smile over to Danielle. Then, he anxiously flicked his gaze to Amanda and cleared his throat, "would you want to help me watch him?" he asked the wolf demoness, "he can be quite a handful on one's own..."

Danielle's face lit up, as did Amanda's, and the wolf demoness replied, "Yeah, sure, that'd be great."

Relief flooded through the redhead, and he smiled that charming smile of his. "Good," he said brightly.

"All right," Danielle giggled, "I'll go get him now... I left him with Hiei, so maybe he's not burnt to a crisp yet..." She was only joking, but she still hurried from the room, not wanting to force the fire demon to watch Laertes any more than he had to. When she found him, she was surprised by what scene sat before her in the living room.

Hiei had Laertes cuddled up into his lap, his small head propped on the fire demon's shoulder. Not only that, but the little elf was asleep, snoring lightly while the demon he sat with hummed softly, fingers carding through the elven blond locks of hair.

Danielle couldn't hold back the smile that spread across her face. She tip-toed over and leaned against the back of the couch that the pair sat on. "How come you never hum for me?" she asked quietly, her breath tickling at Hiei's demon ear.

Hiei immediately stiffened. The humming ceased, as did the dancing fingers in the little boy's hair. "Danielle," he gasped, then with a sigh, allowed himself to relax. "You startled me," he accused in a near-whisper and continued playing with the elf's hair.

"And you didn't answer the question."

Hiei rolled his eyes and craned his neck back so that he could meet his kitsune's gaze. "You never asked," he stated.

"Oh, did Laertes ask you?" Danielle asked surprised.

"No, he didn't feel good. The brat had a stomach ache because _someone _let him have too much ice cream earlier," he said with an accusing scowl at Danielle. When the kitsune looked ready to say something in reply, he plowed on, "So I let him sit in my lap and tried to copy some of what I've seen you do before... and... I remembered what it felt like this morning to wake up to you humming, so I thought that maybe I could copy it and it would help the elf calm down."

"Looks like it worked," Danielle said in a tone of voice just above a whisper. Peace and contentment flooded through her, and she smiled sweetly at Hiei and leaned forward to place a gently kiss on his lips. "I love you," she said dreamily.

Hiei gave her a fanged grin and replied, "I love you too, onna."

"So, you ready to go? Amanda and Kurama said that they would watch Laertes until we got back," the dimensional kitsune said after a few moments of silence.

Hiei nodded and carefully stood up, maneuvering the little elf until he was adjusted sufficiently enough so that the fire demon could walk to the kitchen and cautiously hand him over to Amanda without waking the boy up. The short demon then looked to Danielle and nodded as a sign that he was ready to leave. Then, he and Danielle departed, leaving Amanda and Kurama to watch the young child.

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Kyla: Okay, problem is fixed! 


End file.
